Automated Tropical Cyclone Forecasting System (ATCF™)
and Web-ATCF™
User’s Guide (DoD Version 5.0)

Naval Research Laboratory, Marine Meteorology Division

Prepared by Jim Mundy, CSC
With contributions from Steve Barlow (JTWC), Buck Sampson (NRL), Ann Schrader (SAIC)

October 2010

Table of Contents

1    INTRODUCTION

1.1  The ATCF Application

2    USING ATCF FOR TC FORECASTING TASKS

2.1  Displaying and Printing Streamline Charts

2.2  Starting a Storm

2.3  Opening a Storm Window

2.4  Viewing Satellite/Microwave Imagery

2.5  Removing Satellite/Microwave Imagery

2.6  Entering Microwave Fixes

2.7  Entering Subjective Satellite Fixes

2.8  Entering Radar Fixes

2.9  Importing Fixes

2.10  Making Fix Labels

2.11  Editing Fix Data

2.12  Re-Besting

2.13  Importing Objective Aids

2.14  Deactivating a Storm

2.15  Deleting a Storm

2.16  Saving ATCF Fix Data

2.17  Saving a Graphic to a File

2.18 Realtime Best Tracking

2.18.1  Updating the Working Best Track

2.18.2  Periodically Check Decks for Errors

2.19 Bogusing

2.20  5-Day Objective Aids Graphic

2.21  Tropical Cyclone Formation Alerts (TCFAs)

2.21.1  Issuing a TCFA and Creating and Sending the TCFA Graphic

2.21.2  Re-issuing a TCFA

2.21.3  Cancelling a TCFA

2.22  Forecasting

2.22.1  Track Forecasting

2.22.2  Intensity Forecasting

2.22.3  Forecasting Wind Radii

2.22.4  Ship Avoidance Area

2.22.5  Error Swath

2.23  Warnings and Warning Graphics

2.23.1  Create the Warning

2.23.2  Create the Warning Graphic

2.23.3  Create the Ship Avoidance Area Graphic

2.23.4  Create the Wind Probability Products

3  The ATCF Menus

3.1  The File Menu

3.2  The Tools Menu

3.3  The Fixes Menu

3.4  The Track Menu

3.5  The Aids Menu

3.6  The Fields Menu

3.7  The Forecast Menu

3.8  The Warnings/TCFAs Menu

3.9  The Graphic Menu

3.10  The Manage-Storms Menu

3.11  The Statistics Menu

3.12  The Configure Menu

3.13  The Help Menu

4  References

5  Notes

5.1  Glossary of Acronyms