Introduction to

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Introduction to The Hazardous Weather
Testbed Norman, Oklahoma
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What is the Hazardous Weather Testbed?
Mission NOAAs Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT)
accelerates the transition of promising new
meteorological insights and technologies into
advances in forecasting and warning for hazardous
mesoscale weather events in the United States.
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What is the Hazardous Weather Testbed?

• NSSL and NWS collaboration
• Combines operations, research.
• Includes visiting forecaster/scientist program.
• VORTEX, IHOP, JPOL, etc.

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Norman, Oklahoma
Occupancy Summer 2006
Collocates NSSL, SPC, WFO OUN, WDTB, ROC, and
Univ. of Oklahoma Meteorology Units
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The NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed
EFP Emphasizes diagnosis and modeling to
forecast mesoscale hazards.
EWP Emphasizes diagnosis and modeling to warn
for storm scale hazards.
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NWC 2nd Floor
SPC
HWT
WFO
DLab
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NWC 2nd Floor Hazardous Weather Testbed Area
SPC
Movable wall (electronic)
16 work areas 2 plasma monitors 2 projectors /
screens
HWT
Media room
WFO
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NWC 2nd Floor research-to-operations
Stage I Research at NSSL, elsewhere
SPC
Stage III Beta Testing
HWT
DLab
Stage II Alpha Testing, proof-of-concept,
warning ops simulations
WFO
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Who will be involved?

• Forecasters from throughout the NWS
• NSSL scientists and software developers
• WDTB trainers
• Researchers from other institutions
• International scientists and forecasters
• Others

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Why Norman?

• Can conduct forecast and warning experiments in
  real-time for any part of the contiguous 48
  states
• AWIPS / NAWIPS
• Satellite, Level II radar, numerical models, obs
• Warn-on-forecast storm-scale models
• Warning Decision Support System Integrated
  Information (WDSS-II)

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Why Norman?

• Can also expose more people to developmental
  platforms in real-time
• - Phased array radar
• - Polarimetric radar
• - CASA radar
• - 3D lightning mapping array
• We have a lot of experience with experiments in
  Norman
• - DOPLIGHT (1984-1987)
• - Norman Experimental Forecast Facility
  (1987-1993)
• - Warning Decision Support System (WDSS)
  (1993-1999)
• - WDSS-II (2002-present)
• - NSSL SPC Spring Programs
• - Joint Polarization Experiment (JPOLE)
  (2002-2003)

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What is the Experimental Warning Program?

• Component of the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed
• WFO-scale collaboration among forecasters,
  researchers and trainers
• 0-2 hour hazardous weather forecast warning
  projects for nation
• Emphasis on convective weather
• Joint initiative of the NWS and the NSSL

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What is the Experimental Warning Program?

• Analogous to SPC/NSSL spring program
• Forecasters can provide early feedback on latest
  research tools and ideas
• For ideas not yet mature enough for operational
  beta testing

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Goals

• Develop new warning guidance tools from multiple
  sensors and numerical
• Cloud-scale models (warn-on-forecast)
• Develop new warning techniques (probabilistic
  warnings)
• Develop improved verification techniques /
  climate record
• Develop GIS-based applications
• Develop new visualization techniques

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Early EWP Experiments

• Probabilistic warnings
• AWIPS four-dimensional stormcell investigator
  (FSI)
• WxGIS
• High-resolution gridded hail product
  verification
• New platforms 3D lightning, dual-pol radar

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Warn-On-Forecast

• Currently issue warnings based on reports of
  severe events or detections of features strongly
  associated with severe weather
• Want to issue warnings with longer lead times
  based on forecast storm morphology
• Example Current non-severe thunderstorm is
  strengthening and will encounter a pre-existing
  diffuse boundary, ingesting sufficient horizontal
  vorticity into the updraft to increase the
  tornado probability in 50-90 minutes, after which
  time it will move deep enough into the cold air
  to end the tornado threat.
• Will eventually be driven by storm-scale models
• Will test these concepts in EWP without having to
  interrupt real-time operations at WFOs.

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Questions?