An Analysis of Twitter Usage at the National Weather Service in

Louisville, KY
Robert Prestley , Ron Steve , Kevin Deitsch1 2 2
1
Department of Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University
2
NOAA/National Weather Service Louisville KY

Introduction Questions Definitions Engagement by Post Type

Twitter is an online social network where 1. How did the switch to a DSS desk Reach: Total number of times a 4.00%
content creators create content that users impact posting? post is viewed

Engagement Rate
can interact with. The National Weather 3.00% Photo
Service has expanded Twitter usage since 2. How does post frequency and average Engagements: Total number of Link
2012, when Twitter was implemented on reach vary in the lead-up and aftermath interactions with a post, 2.00% Text
an experimental basis. In 2015, the NWS of a high-impact event? including likes, comments,
in Louisville created a dedicated Decision shares, and any clicks on post 1.00%
Support Services (DSS) desk, which 3. Which types of posts reach and are
included Twitter. This study assesses the Engagement Rate:
engaged by users? 0.00%
Type
effectiveness of the DSS desk, and
investigates how post content, type, and DSS: Decision Support Services
Reach by Post Classification
timing affect reach and engagement with
4000
users. Storm Report
Educational/Outreach
Daily Post Frequency, Pre and Post Aggregate Short-Fuse Events 3000 Nowcast
DSS Desk Interesting

Reach
1.50 Tweet Frequency Average Impressions 5000
45 4500 Twitter Interaction
Pre-DSS Mean: 7.5 2000
40 Post-DSS Mean: 9.8 4000 Forecast

Average Impressions
35 Percent Change: 30.7% 3500 Technical Issues
Posts Per Hour
Frequency

30 1.00
3000 1000 Observed Weather
25 Classification
2500
20
15
0.50
2000 Conclusions
10 1500
5 1000 • Increase in posting • Photos are the best
0 500 and reach post DSS medium
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
0.00 0 • Focus on winter
• Decrease in
Posts Per Day posting 24-48 weather
Aggregate Long-Fuse Events hours prior to long-
fuse events • Humanize
Average Daily Reach Frequency, 1.60 5000 communications
Pre and Post DSS Desk 4500
1.40
80 Pre-DSS Mean: 2014 4000
1.20

Average Impressions
70 Post-DSS Mean: 2540 3500
Posts Per Hour

Percent Change: 26.1% 1.00 3000

60
Frequency

50 0.80 2500
40 0.60 2000
30 1500
0.40
20 1000
10
0.20 500 Acknowledgements
0 0.00 0
120+ 120-96 96-72 72-48 48-24 24-Begin During End-24 24-48 48-72 72-96 96-120 120+ This research would not be possible without the
0.5-1 1-1.5 1.5-2 2-2.5 2.5-3 3-3.5 3.5-4 4-4.5 4.5-5
funding and support from the NOAA Hollings Scholar-
Average Daily Reach, in Thousands ship Program. Special thanks to everyone at the NWS
----------------------Pre Storm----------------------- ------------------Post Storm------------------------ Louisville office, especially my mentors Ted Funk, Ron
Pre-DSS Post-DSS Steve, and Kevin Deitsch (now at NWS St. Louis).