Monday, April 18, 2016 begins the first week of a four-week GOES-R / JPSS Spring Experiment for the Experimental Warning Program of the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) at the National Weather Center in Norman, OK. This project has two components: a) an evaluation of multiple CONUS GOES-R convective applications, including satellite and lightning; and b) a real-time evaluation of the JPSS products suite. Activities will take place during the week, Monday through Friday.
NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites – R Series (GOES-R) is the next generation of geostationary weather satellites. There will be a series of four satellites: GOES-R, GOES-S, GOES-T, and GOES-U. GOES-R will be the first of the series, and is scheduled for launch in October 2016. The new satellite will provide 3x more observations, at 4x better resolution, and imagery 5x faster than legacy geostationary satellites.
This Spring in the HWT, several proxy GOES-R products and capabilities that have the potential to improve short-term forecasts and warnings will be demonstrated. One of these capabilities, 1-min satellite imagery, allows forecasters to identify various atmospheric phenomena and processes earlier than is possible with current operational data. Throughout the experiment, scientists will also be evaluating the Experimental Forecast Program’s probabilistic severe weather outlooks as guidance for warning operations.
During Week One of the GOES-R / JPSS Experiment, distinguished NWS guests will be Randy Bowers (WFO Amarillo, TX), Chris Gitro (WFO Pleasant Hill, MO), and Mike Jurewicz (WFO Binghamton, NY). Additionally, as in previous years, a broadcast meteorologist will be working alongside the NWS forecasters at the forecast desk. This week, the distinguished guest will be Dave Augilera of KCNC-TV (Denver, Colorado). The GOES-R program office and NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory have generously provided travel stipends for the participants.
Visiting scientists this week will include Antonia Gambacorta (Science and Technology Corporation) and Justin Sieglaff (Univ. of Wisconsin / CIMSS).
CIMMS’ Bill Line will be the weekly coordinator. Michael Bowlan (CIMMS/WDTD) will facilitate “Tales from the Testbed” webinars. The support team also includes Kristin Calhoun (CIMMS/NSSL), Darrel Kingfield (CIMMS/NSSL), Tiffany Meyer (CIMMS/NSSL), Gabe Garfield (CIMMS/NWS OUN), Alan Gerard (NSSL), Karen Cooper (CIMMS/NSSL), Vicki Farmer (NSSL), and Lans Rothfusz (NSSL).
For More Information:
You can learn more about the EWP here:
https://hwt.nssl.noaa.gov/
NOAA employees can access the internal GOES-R / JPSS page with their LDAP credentials:
https://hwt.nssl.noaa.gov/ewp/internal/2016/