Airborne Phased Array Radar (APAR) will be mounted on this NSF/NCAR C-130

New Airborne Radar Partnership Will Give Close 3D Views Inside Clouds and Severe Storms

The Airborne Phased Array Radar (APAR) will be the world’s first phased array C-band, dual-Doppler, dual-polarization radar. WPO helped fund the initial research and development of APAR which received $91.8 million in June from the National Science Foundation. APAR will be mounted on the new C-130J hurricane hunter aircraft and allow the atmosphere to be sampled at a higher spatial resolution and probe deeper into storms.

Flooded road

New partnership between NSF and NOAA to help people respond appropriately to dangerous weather systems

In an effort to minimize the loss of life in future events, a new partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aims to provide the necessary tools to ensure people respond appropriately to dangerous weather systems. A key part of this work involves understanding how people behave when hazards approach, so emergency services can improve the content and distribution of storm warnings and other communications.

Earth Image from space

NOAA National Earth System Prediction Capability Executive Steering Group Signs Major Charter Update

The National Earth System Prediction Capability (ESPC) Project Office, located in the OAR Office of Weather and Air Quality, recently held the National ESPC’s Executive Steering Group (ESG) meeting on 18 April, 2016.  The National ESPC’s mission is to create a suite of numerical prediction systems supporting decisions across weather and decadal time scales by…