WPO-Funded Research Collects Critical Forecast Improvement Data during Hurricane Ian
According to NOAA, Hurricane Ian became the 15th Billion-Dollar disaster in 2022. Landfall impacts from Ian are still being felt, as residents of the Florida…
In the testbed environment, researchers and forecasters work alongside each other to integrate new observing systems into models, test and streamline data assimilation methods, test model improvements, and strategize new developments for the benefit of the public.
WPO’s Testbeds Program competitively funds NOAA laboratories, academic partners, and commercial industry through grants and cooperative agreements to test and demonstrate new cutting-edge forecast technologies (models, techniques, data, etc.) in the NOAA weather testbeds to accelerate its transition to the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast operations. There are currently three testbeds active under this program.
According to NOAA, Hurricane Ian became the 15th Billion-Dollar disaster in 2022. Landfall impacts from Ian are still being felt, as residents of the Florida…
The 10th Annual Flash Flood and Intense Rainfall (FFaIR) Experiment will be held in 2023. FFaIR is part of the Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT) at the…
At the height of the spring severe weather season, the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed hosts multiple real-time, forecasting, and warning experiments to evaluate the operational…
In support of the ongoing mission to improve National Weather Service (NWS) products and services for winter weather, the Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT) within the Weather…
The Weather Program Office is working with the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University (CSU) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to advance the forecast capabilities of the Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) through the testing and implementation of stochastic physics configurations.…
The Weather Program Office is working with the University of Utah to improve snowstorm prediction capabilities for forecasts 48 hours to 7 days in advance using techniques and advanced ensemble numerical modeling. Researchers are developing and testing new snow-to-liquid-ratio (SLR) algorithms to improve snowfall forecasts derived from numerical modeling systems,…
After a year and a half of concerted effort between NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC), Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), and other NOAA offices, including the Weather Program Office, the Hurricane and Ocean Testbed (HOT) has been successfully re-named (from the Joint Hurricane Testbed) and re-launched in the newly…
NOAA’s Testbeds and Proving Grounds facilitate the orderly transition of research capabilities to operational implementation through development testing in testbeds, and pre-deployment testing and operational readiness/suitability evaluation in operational proving grounds, as described in the Charter revised in 2020.
In 2011, a coordinating committee was established to facilitate communication and provide coordination and consistency among the approved testbeds (TBs) and operational proving grounds (PGs) in NOAA. The Testbeds and Proving Grounds Coordinating Committee (TBPGCC) is a subcommittee of the Line Office Transition Manager Committee, which is a subcommittee of the NOAA Research Council.
Hydrometeorology Testbed
Hazardous Weather Testbed
Hurricane Ocean Testbed
To TC Hazard Forecasts
PI: Ryan Torn, State University of New York
For Analysis of Tropical Cyclone Intensity and Structure from Aircraft Reconnaissance Observations
PI: Jonathan L. Vigh, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Integrating Road Hazards
PI: Dana Tobin, University of Oklahoma
Through evaluation of analysis uncertainty representation methods
PI: Jeff Beck, Colorado State University
For Estimating Tropical Cyclone Track and Intensity Forecast Uncertainty
PI: Mark DeMaria, Colorado State University
With Refined Probabilistic Guidance
PI: Eric Loken, University of Oklahoma
On Tropical Cyclone Forecasts in HAFS
PI: Sarah D. Ditchek, University of Miami
With an FV3-based convection-allowing ensemble and machine learning
PI: Craig Schwartz, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
And Improving Ensemble Probabilistic and Consensus Forecast Products in Support of HMT Winter Weather and Heavy Precipitation Forecasting
PI: Keith Brewster, University of Oklahoma
VORTEX Program Coordinator and Social Scientist
Testbeds & Air Quality & Fire Weather Program Manager
Testbeds & Air Quality & Fire Weather Program Coordinator