Photo of Drone Observations being made. Observations Program, Weather Program Office

Observations help scientists understand and predict weather phenomena

They improve accuracy in modeling and bring back data from places no scientist can safely go- such as the eye of a hurricane or a mountain top.

Without accurate, precise, and targeted observations, we cannot measure or predict. We are constantly working with the scientific community to improve the scope and capabilities of our observing platforms so we can provide tools that bring back data when and where they need it for impactful forecast improvement.

Targeted Observing Platforms for Earth Science

Building Data Arrays for Forecast Improvement

The Observations Program supports research to advance and improve weather observations technology critical for the detection and forecasting of hazardous weather phenomena. The Observations Program works closely with the research and operational communities in government, academia, and private industry to develop and transition weather observing technology into operations.

The goals of the Observations program directly align with the legislation mandated by The Weather Act of 2017: advance observations to improve weather research and forecasting, particularly for high impact weather, to protect life and property. The Observations team has a strong focus on building a Climate-Ready Nation by improving environmental predictions and enhancing comprehensive observations and monitoring systems.

We support the objectives in the Priorities for Weather Research report by funding projects that aim to improve data assimilation of new observations and increase observational capabilities for weather research.

  • We provide mission enabling, foundational infrastructure to accelerate transitions of research to operations, applications, and commercialization through enterprise collaboration
  • We research and analyze new and emerging observing capabilities to upgrade legacy systems, to fill gaps in observations, and to better understand the atmosphere, specifically the boundary layer 
  • We identify the impact of various observing systems on prediction skill and forecast quality through observing system experiments (ie OSEs and OSSEs). 
  • We coordinate within and outside of NOAA to strengthen integration efforts across the weather enterprise.

What’s Happening Now

Updates & Events

Current Focus Areas

Innovative Technologies

We fund and foster technologies that push boundaries to collect critical data to advance NOAA's mission to understand and predict changes in weather.

Observational Capabilities Throughout the Weather Enterprise

We continue to invest in the research and development of observational technologies within NOAA, academia, and the private sector to advance and accelerate the goals of the weather enterprise.

Guide to Transition

We help navigate the transition of weather observing technologies into a relevant applied space. This could be an operational environment, a commercial product or service, or an application.

PROJECT VIGNETTES

A World of Possibilities
for Observational Assets

FY23 Awards Announced

11 Projects Selected for Funding

The total of funding awarded is approximately $2.5M per year for this competition. Projects may be for up to two years, with up to $300,000/year.

Have Questions?

Contact our team for questions about the proposal process.

Contact Us

Taking on Operational Challenges

Currently Funded Projects

Uncrewed Aircraft Observations to Characterize the Land Surface and Its Interaction with the Lower Atmosphere
Uncrewed Aircraft Observations to Characterize the Land Surface and Its Interaction with the Lower Atmosphere

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Gijs de Boer
University of Colorado/CIRES

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Allen White

This project will utilize observations from uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to gain a better understanding, as well as new perspectives, of weather and water over complex terrain. These observations, which include soil moisture, snow cover, snow reflectivity, vegetation, as well as lower atmospheric properties, will aid in development and advancement of weather and water forecasting…

Flooding: A Bird’s Eye View
Flooding: A Bird’s Eye View

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Leila Hashemi-Beni
North Carolina A&T University

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

By fusing high spatial resolution data from optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors obtained from both satellite and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) remote sensing, this project aims to develop an innovative methodology based on machine learning techniques for rapid delineation of flood boundary and water depth measurements. These measurements will provide floodplain topography data…

Evening of January 22 - snow coming down and not much car traffic. Image ID: wea04833, NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) Collection Photo Date: 2016 January 22 Photographer: Courtesy of Joe Flood
Particle Imaging and Ceilometer Observations for Snowfall Properties and Blizzard Parameters

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Norm Wood
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Dr. Aaron Kennedy

Accurate forecasting of blizzard occurrence, intensity, and extent is key to improving response to anticipated blizzard conditions. This project aims to use new particle imagers and laser ceilometers to measure and detect various snow properties to aid in improving blizzard and winter precipitation forecasting, as well as contribute to model verification, to reduce adverse outcomes…

High-impact observations for enhancing Great Lakes Snowfall forecasting
The Great Snow Forecasting Challenge of the Great Lakes

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Claire Pettersen
University of Michigan

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Stephen Nesbitt, Dr. John Lenters

Through the deployment of affordable, automated, profiling, and high-temporal-resolution vertically pointing radars, snow particle imagers, and boundary layer sensors, this project will examine the characteristics of different snow regimes to demonstrate the utility of snow microphysical and ambient environmental characteristics observations in providing meaningful information for improved winter weather situational awareness and forecasting.

Look Up in the Sky! It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Weather Balloon!
Look Up in the Sky! It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Weather Balloon!

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Andrey Sushko
Windborne Systems Inc.

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

This project utilizes the innovative capabilities of WindBorne Systems’ Global Sounding Balloons (GSBs) to fill critical data gaps. To test this technology for operational use, multiple observation campaigns will be conducted, including over the Northern Pacific Ocean to collect data on atmospheric river formation and over the Atlantic Ocean to collect environmental data surrounding tropical…

Snow satellite image.
A New Global 4-KM Multi-Decadal Snow Cover Extent/Snow Water Equivalent/Snow Depth Dataset

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Peter Romanov
City College of New York

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Cezar Kongoli

This project will develop a new snow cover monitoring system, as well as enhanced daily snow products. The outcomes of this work will contribute to reanalysis products and will benefit operational activities with the near real-time snow cover data.

The Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) Hydrometeorology Testbed - Hydro (hereafter denoted as HMT-Hydro) experiment is a part of the United States Weather Research Program (USWRP) through the Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT) that runs from 24 June to 19 July 2019. During the HMT-Hydro experiment, forecasters and hydrologists from the National Weather Service (NWS) will work with National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) research scientists to explore new technology and techniques to improve the prediction and warning of flash flooding. In particular, NWS participants will evaluate new probabilistic hydrologic modeling concepts and output within the Flooded Locations and Simulated Hydrographs (FLASH) system that could help convey the uncertainty of the flash flood threat. NWS participants will also evaluate high resolution precipitation forecasts from the NSSL Warn-on-Forecast (WoF) project and the addition of these forecasts into the FLASH system. Feedback from participants will allow NSSL research scientists to identify how these high spatio-temporal resolution precipitation forecasts could influence the warning decision making process, including the potential for increased warning lead time. Evaluations of the various probabilistic data sets will provide further understanding on the usability and effectiveness of these products, as well as guide future efforts of the Forecasting A Continuum of Environmental Threats (FACETs) project for flooding hazards. The HMT-Hydro experiment runs in conjunction with the Flash Flood and Intense Rainfall (FFaIR) experiment at the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) to collaborate on the short-term forecasting of flash flooding for both a national and regional scale.
Improving Quality Control of Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor Products

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Jeff Brogden
CIMMS

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

With a focus on upgrading the quality control algorithm for the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system, this project aims to allow the MRMS system to more effectively identify and filter non-meteorological artifacts from the radar data. This will eliminate these non-meteorological artifacts from transferring into final radar data products that serve operational end users across aviation,…

NEXRAD Radar
Decluttering the Sea Clutter

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

James Kurdzo, Mr. Michael Istok
MIT Lincoln Lab, NOAA/NWS/ROC

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Betty Bennett, Mr. Terrance Clark

This project will develop a non-hydrometeor subclass for classifying sea clutter, i.e. unwanted radar returns from ocean waves, within the HCA. The ability to classify and remove sea clutter will enable Air Traffic Control safer decision making, improve radar data assimilated into forecast models, and assist NWS forecasters in more confidence discerning coastal weather in…

The CopterSonde: Small System, Huge Impact on Severe Weather Forecasts
The CopterSonde: Small System, Huge Impact on Severe Weather Forecasts

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Nusrat Yussouf, Phillip Chilson
OU/CIMMS, NSSL

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Katie Wilson, Tyler Bell, Elizabeth A. Pillar-Little

This project will build and deploy the uncrewed aerial system (UAS) platform, University of Oklahoma (OU) CopterSonde, in the central United States to collect vertical, atmospheric profiles before and during hazardous weather events, specifically severe weather. Results of this work will illustrate the benefits that UAS observations have on forecasting and numerical weather prediction of…

Location: Missouri, Kansas City
Spatiotemporal Variability in Urban Heat and Associated Heat Advection

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Sandip Pal
Texas Tech University

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Utilizing a network of near-surface observing systems, this project aims to develop a better understanding of the spatial variability and movement of urban heat within and around small cities. The datasets provided by this work will aid in improving urban heat forecasts, urban planning, and risk management.

Winter Weather Data Limitations Can Be a BRRR-den
Winter Weather Data Limitations Can Be a BRRR-den

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Junhong (June) Wang
University at Albany, SUNY

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

In this project, researchers propose to develop a new comprehensive observing strategy to more accurately, monitor, warn and verify winter weather. Improving upon already known limitations, this research will build upon prior work to demonstrate an innovative, high quality system for monitoring snow depth, snowfall rates and accumulation, snow water equivalent, freezing rain, and precipitation…

Average Heat Index for the 84 hours 8am Sunday June 27 to 8 pm Wednesday June 30. conEdison
Improving Analysis and Communication of Extreme Temperatures Across the New York City Metropolis

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Nicholas Bassill
University at Albany, State University of New York

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Dr. Eric Stern, Dr. Jeannette Sutton, Dr. Christopher Thorncroft

To fill data gaps in the ASOS observational network across New York state, this project will develop a real-time Extreme Temperature Dashboard, a product that will offer granular extreme temperature analyses. This product is foreseen to provide benefit to the daily operations of NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and Emergency Management of New York and…

Photo of innovative expendable drifting buoys
Drifting Through Waves of Data

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Luca Centurioni
Scripps Institution of Oceanography/LDL/GDP

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Mr. Joe Sienkiewicz

This project aims to address the sea level pressure (SLP) data scarcity issue over the oceans by utilizing drifting buoys, i.e. drifters. Recent literature shows SLP data collected by drifters dramatically improves weather forecasting; however, only 60% of drifters are outfitted with barometers. The project team will equip drifters with barometers and analyze and assess…

Floodwater from a river inundates neighborhoods in Minot, North Dakota.
Improving Flood Inundation Mapping Using UAS-Based Optical Imagery

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Jamie Dyer
Mississippi State University/Northern Gulf Institute

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Dr. Robert Moorhead

This project will deploy a large uncrewed aerial system (UAS) platform during active flood events to collect and disseminate flood imagery to river forecast centers, specifically the NWS Southern Region. This project will not only enhance the capabilities of UAS during hydrologic events, but will also improve situational awareness of the operational centers and provide…

Saildrone 1045
Sailing into the Eye of a Hurricane

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Dongxiao Zhang
University of Washington

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Dr. Jun Zhang & Dr. Eric Lindstrom

This project will deploy uncrewed surface vehicles (USV), Saildrones, into hurricane environments to continuously collect high-quality near-surface atmosphere and upper ocean measurements. The real time data from Saildrones will provide critical data to better understand the air-sea transition zone physics and how that may affect hurricane intensity.

New Hurricane Hunters Joining the Fleet: Drones
New Hurricane Hunters Joining the Fleet: Drones

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Jun Zhang
University of Miami/CIMAS

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Dr. Joe Cione

This project will deploy low-altitude small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) from NOAA WP-3D hurricane hunter aircrafts to enhance observations within the hurricane boundary layer. The data collected by the sUASs will aid in better predictions of hurricane intensity change by increasing data coverage of the boundary layer and helping improve the physics within NOAA’s operational…

Woman interacting with her phone
Smartphones Making Weather Forecasts Smarter

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Clifford Mass
University of Washington

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Utilizing pressure sensors within smartphones, this project will collect, anonymize, and bias-correct millions of smartphone pressure data points and evaluate the value this data has on operational forecast models. The project team will assess the impact of the large number of smartphone pressure measurements on both operational forecasting and numerical weather prediction.

Man testing equipment in field to collect weather data
Unlocking a Treasure Trove of Aircraft Data

Lead Principal Investigator & Affiliation:

Dr. Michael McPartland
MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Dr. Jason English

This project demonstrates a low-cost, innovative system that has the ability to pull meteorological data, including wind and temperature, from aircraft equipped with Mode S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS) transponders in real-time. This standalone system presents several advantages over current aircraft data collection methods such as low latency on the order of seconds and the compatibility…

Resource Library

Take a Deep Dive into the Observations Program

Interactive Story Maps

Use of USV Saildrones to Accomplish NOAA's Mission. Transition Plan Storymap.
Use of USV Saildrones to Accomplish NOAA's Mission. Transition Plan Storymap.
NOAA WPO Observations Program: FY21 Projects
NOAA WPO Observations Program: FY21 Projects
NOAA's WPO Observations Program Overview
NOAA's WPO Observations Program Overview

Articles & Information

WPO Observations Program FY21 Funded Projects
WPO Observations Program FY21 Funded Projects
Observing Weather and Climate From the Ground Up: A National Network of Networks
Observing Weather and Climate From the Ground Up: A National Network of Networks

Workshops

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Emerging Technologies Workshop (ETW) is an event showcasing the latest innovations designed to collect, analyze, and synthesize environmental data.

The 2021 virtual workshop highlighted a wide variety of innovative technologies. Workshop attendees represented all six NOAA Line Offices in addition to stakeholders from other federal agencies, academia, and the private sector. This event aimed to improve the impact of emerging technologies through the end-to-end processes of Discovery Development, and Deployment/Transition.

View post-workshop materials >

Click to see materials from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Emerging Technologies Workshop
Click to see materials from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Emerging Technologies Workshop

We Coordinate Observations Improvement & Integration Research for the Weather Program Office

Contact Our Team

Segayle Thompson
Segayle Thompson, PhD

Phased Array Radar (PAR) Program Manager

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Sandy LaCorte
Sandra LaCorte

Observations Program Coordinator

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Renee Richardson
Renee Richardson

Observations Program Manager

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Wayne Mackenzie, WPO
Wayne Mackenzie

Division Chief - Observations and Research Support

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