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August
12, 2002
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an
online newsletter for and by NOAA employees
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An Outstanding Innovator For NOAA & Nation As chief of a National Weather Service team at southern region  headquarters
in Fort Worth, Paul Kirkwood is widely respected as an outstanding innovator.
He is recognized for exceptional ability in designing, developing, and implementing
time- and cost-saving measures that advance use of the powerful AWIPS, or
Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, and the related Interactive
Forecast Preparation System. Now he can add Employee of the Month
to a considerable list of kudos.Before moving to Ft. Worth, Paul was a forecaster and AWIPS program leader in Tennessee, where he was already envisioning ways to improve AWIPS’ over-all effectiveness. AWIPS is vital on many levels. It gives forecasters the capability to analyze data from many sources, rapidly develop forecasts and warnings, and almost instantly get information out to the public. It transforms complex weather data into easily understood, internet-accessible graphics, and it instantly converts weather warnings and forecasts for broadcast over NOAA Weather Radio. While still in Tennessee, he developed an AWIPS-compatible program to help develop and issue forecasts for the aviation industry. This program is now used extensively across the country. Paul later created a unique system for archiving critical Doppler radar data. Hailed by managers and forecasters as one of the most significant achievements in support of AWIPS, the system satisfies a national archival requirement. It has also significantly cut maintenance and communications costs and permitted early removal of an outdated system. The innovative system further solves an important training need. Compatible with systems beyond AWIPS, it works to ingest the full gamut of meteorological data, including surface and upper-air observations, radar and model data. It is a true weather event archiver and has been adopted for use by the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training. The system’s utility as a training and service assessment tool was clearly demonstrated in the aftermath of a recent storm system that moved across Oklahoma. Before storms even exited the state, forecasters were able to review model data and radar imagery. This had never been possible before. He recently moved into the Interactive Forecast Preparation System, where he’s already mapped new approaches, including software scripts that permit forecasters to conduct training, perform research and develop presentations without intruding on forecast operations.
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