StreamerRT
(Version 4.3)
User Guide
August 2009
Corporate Headquarters:
12410 Milestone Center Drive
Suite 300
Germantown, MD 20876
800.544.4429 / weatherbugprofessional.com
Technical Support: 888-239-0047 (option 1)
StreamerRT
August 2009
Overview
StreamerRT is a real-time weather decision system. StreamerRT was built to provide a fully interactive
mapping platform with a comprehensive collection of weather data. Monitor real-time station
observation data from the WeatherBug network and overlay numerous enhanced data sets to stay up-todate with significant weather events before and after they develop.
Use StreamerRT to create the specific custom view that is important to you and then monitor your
weather through easy access to your custom views, slideshows and animations.
StreamerRT URL – http://StreamerRT.weatherbug.com
StreamerRT – Temperature contour, Temperature points and Current Radar
System Requirements - The following are the recommended system requirements to experience the optimal
performance from WeatherBug Professional StreamerRT:
Browser: IE 7.0 or higher (Note: IE 6.0.2900.2180 is supported, but IE 7.0 is recommended)
Connection: Broadband Connection (DSL, Cable Modem, T1 or T3)
Hardware: Pentium IV or better
RAM: 2 GB or greater for light users; 4 GB or greater for heavy users
Screen Resolution: 1024x768 or higher
Contact your IT Department to open security access to the following StreamerRT URLs:
http://dashboard.streamerrt.weatherbug.com
http://img.streamerrt.weatherbug.com
http://professionalportal.weatherbug.com
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Navigation
Map Tip
The user can view a station point or other data layer Map Tip information by selecting a data
point and left-clicking on that point when these data layers are enabled. Once the Map Tip is
enabled, you can click for further details (Dashboard) by clicking on the “Details” link found at the
bottom of the Map Tip.
Data layers with Map Tip information include Station Points, NWS Alerts, Forecast Points and
Tropical Information.
If the Map Tip information does not display when the data point is selected and a left-mouse click
is performed, check to make sure it is the top data layer on the map. A data layer can be brought
to the top by selecting the ‘Top’ control from the Data Pane.
Zoom-In
A user can zoom-in by selecting the Zoom-In button or by double clicking on the map or by
using the mouse scroll wheel. Choosing one of these options will produce a zoom of 50%,
centered on the middle of the map. In addition, the user can select
draw a zoom box to better zoom to a specific area.
the area zoom button to
Zoom-Out
A user can zoom-out by selecting the Zoom-out button. The view will zoom out 50%,
centered on the middle of the map.
Pan
A user can pan the map in 8 directions by clicking on the pan wheel. A user can also left
click anywhere on the map and drag the map in any direction.
Full Extent
When the user selects this icon, the map will zoom out to the default full extent of the US.
Refresh and Clear
When a user selects the Refresh button in the Data pane, the data layers currently displayed on
the map will refresh.
When a user selects the Clear All Layers button in the Data pane, the map and data pane will be
cleared of all data layers.
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Data Menu
Map Layers
Map Layers include County and State Boundries which will overlay all map layers with black borders.
It is best to only use the County Boundries layer on close zoom, otherwise they may take extra time
to draw.
Each data menu category will allow the user to turn on a single layer using a radio button or multiple
layers using one or more check boxes. Generally only one point layer can be enabled at a time and
one contour layer can be enabled at a time per category. When a data item is enabled it will become
visible on the map and an entry will be entered in the data pane on the right of the application.
As the user selects data layer entries from the menu options, the Streamer map display will refresh
to include the newly selected data.
Station point data displayed on the map is auto-updated every 1 minute.
Alerts
View National Weather Service (NWS) issued warnings, watches and advisories. These include
Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado watches and warnings in addition to Flood, Winter, Fire and
numerous other severe weather warnings.
NWS Severe Weather - Tornado Warning, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Tornado Watch, Severe
Thunderstorm Watch, Flash Flood Warning
NWS Flood Warnings - Flash Flood Warning, Flood Warning, Coastal Flood Warning, Flash Flood
Watch, Flood Watch, Flood Statement
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NWS Winter Weather - Winter Storm Warning, Winter Storm Watch, Winter Weather Advisory
NWS Non-Precipitation - Frost and Freeze Warning, Frost and Freeze Watch, High Wind Warning,
High Wind Advisory, High Wind Watch, Lake Wind Advisory, Dust Storm Warning, Air Stagnation
Alert, Wind Chill Advisory, Wind Chill Warning, Excessive Heat Warning, Dense Fog Warning, Freezing
Fog Warning
NWS Fire Weather - Red Flag Warning
NWS Tropical Weather - Hurricane Local Statement, Hurricane Warning, Hurricane Watch, Tropical
Storm Warning, Tropical Storm Watch, Extreme Wind Warning
NWS Coastal Weather - Coastal Flood Warning, Coastal Flood Watch, Coastal Flood Statement, Lake
Shore Warning Statement, Tsunami Warning, Tsunami Watch
NWS Civil Emergency - Civil Emergency Message, Civil Emergency Message, Avalanche Watch,
Avalanche Warning, Child Abduction Emergency
Alert Map Tip – Allows you to view the alert summary information for each displayed alert on the
map. Make sure the desired alert layer is the top layer on the map in the data pane menu
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Click on the Details link (lower left of alert Map Tip) to launch the detailed alert information screen.
WeatherBug Severe Weather Alerts
Severe weather alerts are generated from the WeatherBug Protect alert detection and notification
system. Real-time weather conditions are tracked and monitored using the proprietary WeatherBug
Network for conditions such as extreme temperatures, wind, rainfall, wind chill, heat index and
lightning. Alerts are generated and mapped to 5km by 5km grid squares for the continental US.
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WeatherBug Protect – Heat Index – WeatherBug proprietary 5km by 5km alert grids indicating realtime heat index values above 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit
WeatherBug Protect – Temperature - WeatherBug proprietary 5km by 5km alert grids indicating
real-time temperature values below 32 degrees Fahrenheit
WeatherBug Protect – Wind Chill - WeatherBug proprietary 5km by 5km alert grids indicating realtime wind chill values below 30, 15 and 0 degrees Fahrenheit
WeatherBug Protect – Lightning - WeatherBug proprietary 5km by 5km alert grids indicating realtime lightning strikes within 6, 10 and 15 miles
WeatherBug Protect – Wind Gust - WeatherBug proprietary 5km by 5km alert grids indicating realtime wind gust values above 40 miles per hour
WeatherBug Protect – Rain Rate - WeatherBug proprietary 5km by 5km alert grids indicating realtime rain rate values above 1 inch per hour
Current Weather
View station observation point data and/or detailed color contour images for numerous station data
attributes by leveraging the exclusive WeatherBug Network.
Temperature – current surface temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit
Temperature Rate – measured temperature change in the last six minutes expressed as an
extrapolated hourly temperature change rate (plus or minus) in degrees Fahrenheit
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Daily High Temperature – measured highest temperature in degrees Fahrenheit for the current day
Daily Low Temperature – measured lowest temperature in degrees Fahrenheit for the current day
Dew Point – current surface temperature to which the air must be cooled for water vapor to
condense into water (dew) in degrees Fahrenheit
Dew Point Rate - measured dew point temperature change in the last six minutes expressed as an
extrapolated hourly temperature change rate (plus or minus) in degrees Fahrenheit
Dew Point Depression – the difference between the temperature and the dew point
Humidity – the amount of water vapor in the air expressed as a percent of maximum saturation
Heat Index – index that combines the current temperature and humidity to determine an apparent
temperature in degrees Fahrenheit
Wind Chill – index that factors air temperature and wind speed to determine an apparent
temperature felt on exposed skin in degrees Fahrenheit
Wind Speed and Direction – current wind speed and direction in miles per hour
Daily Gust Speed – highest wind gust speed in miles per hour for the current 24 hour period
Rain Rate - measured rain total in the last six minutes expressed as an extrapolated hourly rain rate
in inches
Daily Rain – measured amount of rain in inches for the current day 24 hour period
Pressure - the pressure exerted by the atmosphere at sea level expressed in inches of mercury
Pressure Rate - the measured pressure exerted by the atmosphere at sea level in the last six minutes
expressed as an extrapolated hourly pressure change rate expressed in inches of mercury
Wet Bulb Approximation – the lowest temperature that can be obtained by evaporating water into
the air
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Station Map Tip – Allows you to view a quick data summary of many critical real-time station
weather parameters and daily values. To enable a Station Map Tip, left-click on the data point that
you want to view and the Map Tip will appear.
Station Dashboard – In addition to the station Map Tip, the user can click on the “Details” link found
at the bottom of the Map Tip for a Dashboard.
The Station Dashboard allows a user a comprehensive view of weather station observations including
camera images, daily and monthly observation summaries/graphs as well as 7-day and hourly
forecast information.
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Forecast Model Data
View National Weather Service NDFD forecast data for current temperature and daily high/low
temperature out to seven days. In addition, view critical Forecast Deviation points and/or contours
which provide the immediate location where the weather is unexpectedly hot or cold.
NWS (NDFD) Forecast Current Temperature and Day 1-7 – NWS forecast information provided by
the NDFD available as point data and color contour
Current Observed Temperature minus NWS (NDFD) Temperature Forecast – The deviation between
forecast temperatures and current temperatures available as point data and color contour.
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Radar and Satellite
Current Radar and Forecast radar mosaics show where precipitation is and where it is headed. Track
precipitation accumulation totals over a 1, 3, 6, 12 and/or 24 hour period.
Current Radar Mosaic - Doppler radar 1km composite radar image covering the continental U.S. 15
radar dBZ (decibels of Z, where Z represents the energy reflected back to the radar) levels are shown
covering 5 to 75+ dBZ and color keyed each 5 dBZ. The data is updated every 5 minutes.
1 Hour Forecast Radar – 1 hour forecast Doppler radar 1km composite radar image covering the
continental U.S. 15 radar dBZ levels are shown covering 5 to 75+ dBZ and color keyed each 5 dBZ.
The data is updated 4 times an hour.
2 Hour Forecast Radar – 2 hour forecast Doppler radar 1km composite radar image covering the
continental U.S. 15 radar dBZ levels are shown covering 5 to 75+ dBZ and color keyed each 5 dBZ.
The data is updated 4 times an hour.
3 Hour Forecast Radar – 3 hour forecast Doppler radar 1km composite radar image covering the
continental U.S. 15 radar dBZ levels are shown covering 5 to 75+ dBZ and color keyed each 5 dBZ.
The data is updated 4 times an hour.
4 Hour Forecast Radar – 4 hour forecast Doppler radar 1km composite radar image covering the
continental U.S. 15 radar dBZ levels are shown covering 5 to 75+ dBZ and color keyed each 5 dBZ.
The data is updated 4 times an hour.
Lightning Threat – 30 minute prediction area of lightning strikes
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Satellite Visible - Visible channel satellite image that covers the continental U.S. Cloud cover is
depicted by reflected sunlight off the cloud tops. Image will be black where the sun is not shining.
Image is updated every 15 minutes.
Satellite IR - Infrared channel satellite image which covers the continental U.S. Cloud cover is
depicted by detecting water droplet temperatures. Image is updated every 15 minutes.
Rain Water Accumulation – precipitation accumulation estimates derived from the Nationwide Level
II mosaics (NMII) every 5 minutes retaining the high resolution 1km grid.
Severe Weather
Track Hurricanes, flood conditions and major snow forecast and accumulation areas.
1 Minute Lightning – Lightning strikes that have occurred in the last 1 minute.
15 Minute Lightning - Lightning strikes that have occurred in the last 15 minutes.
30 Minute Lightning - Lightning strikes that have occurred in the last 30 minutes.
Flash Flood Guidance - Flash Flood Guidance estimates the average number of inches of rainfall for
given durations required to produce flash flooding in the indicated county issued by the National
Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Centers. These estimates are based on current soil moisture
conditions. Note, in urban areas, less rainfall is required to produce flash flooding.
Significant River Flood Outlook - This Flood Outlook is intended to provide a general outlook for
significant river flooding provided by the NWS Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
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Current Fire Perimeters – location of active fire perimeters provided by the Geospatial Multi-Agency
Coordination Group (GeoMAC)
Snowfall Amount – Accumulated snowfall amount (in inches) for 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours on a 1km
grid over the CONUS. The 1 hour snowfall amount is updated every 5 minutes, all others are updated
hourly.
Snow Amount Forecast – The expected total accumulation of new snow (in inches) in a 6 hour
period. The 6 Hour periods correspond to 8AM – 2PM, 2PM – 8PM, 8PM – 2AM, 2AM – 8AM
represented in EST. The Snow Amount (0 - 6 hours) data layer will represent the 6 Hour period that
corresponds to the current EST.
Tropical
The Tropical data is separated by Atlantic and Pacific Basin sub-menus. Basins allow for single storm
viewing of “Active” and “Historical” plots. Current year historical track plots are now viewable.
Active and Historic storm “Map-Tips” show storm data and bulletins for each historical, current and
forecast point.
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Click on the “Bulletins” link in the Map Tip for further information and discussion on the tropical event.
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Hurricane Track - Official NHC tropical forecast track for active storms. Forecast points are every 12
hours for 0 - 72 hours. Date and time are given in UTC. Number at forecast point is the forecast
sustained wind speed at that forecast interval. Data updates 4 times a day, roughly 3, 9, 15 and 21
UTC
Hurricane Cone - defines the uncertainty of the official NHC forecast track. Error in track forecasts
dictates that the line of the track is the best estimate, but the cone gives the potential area the storm
could actually fall into. Data updates 4 times a day, roughly 3, 9, 15 and 21 UTC
Tropical Model Forecast Lines - Tropical model forecast lines for active tropical cyclones. Lines are
for the available National Hurricane Center Operational Track Guidance Models and connect forecast
points which are for 12 hour forecast intervals from 0-120 hours. Data updates 4 times a day, roughly
3, 9, 15 and 21 UTC
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AVNI (Interpolated Aviation Model)
BAMD (Beta and advection model; deep layer)
BAMM (Beta and advection model; medium layer)
CEMN (Canadian Ensemble Mean)
CLIP (Climatology and Persistence Model)
COAI (Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) - Atlantic grid
interpolated 06 hours)
 DSHP (Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme (SHIPS) with inland decay)
 GFDI (interpolated NWS Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Model)
 LBAR (Limited Area Sine Transform Barotropic Model)
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 NGPI (Interpolated Navy Operational Global Prediction System)
 OFCI (Interpolated Official National Hurricane Center Forecast)
 XTRP (Extrapolated forecast of current track)
Tropical Model Forecast Points - Tropical model forecast points for active tropical cyclones. Points
are for the available National Hurricane Center Operational Track Guidance Models for 12 hour
forecast intervals from 0-120 hours. Data updates 4 times a day, roughly 3, 9, 15 and 21 UTC
Hurricane Wind Swath - Wind swath information is derived from the NHC advisories for the current
position report and shows the forecasted extent of 34, 50 and 64 KT (39, 58, and 74 MPH) winds
Custom Setting Buttons
Views
Each user can save custom views that include the preferred map extent and active data layers. The
user can quickly switch between any custom view for rapid visualization of changing weather
conditions.
Any view can be set as the ‘default’, which will result in that view getting loaded each time on login.
In addition, a view can be selected as ‘Enable 6hr and 12hr animation’.
Views can be ordered by holding down the left mouse button and then dragging and dropping the
view name into the desired order.
Upon initial creation of a view with 6 & 12 hour animation enabled, images will begin accumulating
for the view at 15 minute intervals. The view must be defined 6 to 12 hours prior to accessing it for
playing a complete 6 or 12 hour animation.
When enabling 6 & 12 hour animation for a view, all animate-able layers shall be available for the
map extent defined in the view not just the layers that were selected at the time the view was
saved.
Select View Button – View names are hot linked so you can quickly switch to a new custom view.
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Select Create New View Button – Enter a new name for custom view to save the map extent and
active layers.
Status Bar Shows View, Animation and Slideshow Status
Slideshow
Custom views can be grouped into a slideshow presentation. The user can configure which custom
views to add into a slideshow and which order the views will display as well as how long each view
will display.
Select New Slideshow – Select your predefined custom views to add to a new slideshow. The Add
View button allows the user to add additional custom views for the slideshow.
Select Slideshow – Slideshows are available for easy selection and will begin playing immediately.
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Data View Pane
When a weather data layer is enabled from the Data Menu, the data layer is displayed in the Data View
Pane. The Data View Pane provides easy access for the user to view which data layers are displayed on
the map and provides additional functions for that data. The Data View Pane can be expanded and
collapsed by left clicking on the left edge of the window.
View Data Layer
The first checkbox entry allows the user to turn off a layer from the map, but keeps the data layer
entry in the Data View Pane for easy access to turn on when needed.
View Legend
The Legend radio button allows the user to turn on legends for the applicable data layers. Only one
legend can be displayed on the map at a time. The legend can be cleared by clicking on the selected
radio button. The radio button will become unselected and any legend currently displayed on the
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map will be removed. If a data layer does not have a legend check box, then that particular data
layer does not have a legend button.
Animate Data Layer
The Animate radio button will allow the user to animate one of the data layers in the data pane.
Only one data layer can be animated on the map at a time. The animation can be stopped and
cleared by clicking on the selected radio button. The radio button will become unselected and any
animation currently displayed on the map will be removed. If a data layer does not have an animate
button, then that particular data layer cannot be animated.
Animations can be selected for 1, 3, 6 or 12 hour periods. If a user moves the map from a 6 and 12
hour animation enabled custom view, the 6 and 12 hour animation feature will no longer be enabled.
One and three hour animation, however, will be available on any map extent and view for all layers
capable of animation.
While animating, the animation bar will display showing images for the user selected period of 1, 3, 6
or 12 hours. New images will automatically be added to the animation sequence.
Move Layer to Top
Each data layer in the data pane can be moved to the top of the map display by selecting the ‘Top’
control. This will ‘push’ that data layer to the top of all other data layers. This will allow for easy
data manipulation when multiple data layers overlap.
For the data layers that allow Map Tip functionality, moving the layer to the top will allow the
Map Tip to come on when the data point selected.
Advanced Severe Weather Monitoring Platform
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StreamerRT is designed to provide an advanced weather monitoring capability for numerous weather
scenarios. The following examples show a few of the many severe weather monitoring configurations
available:

Monitor severe storms with NWS and WeatherBug Protect Alerts.

Quickly visualize and identify areas of extreme heat or cold.
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Monitor rainfall accumulation totals and identify areas with a Significant River Flood outlook.

Monitor Hurricane strength and position forecasts.
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