# Presentation: 487611

## NOAA / NESDIS Research and Operations:

**I-5: Operational Impact of SVW at Coastal WFO**

***Peter****** A. Stamus and Ralph F. Milliff***

*NWRA / Colorado Research Associates (CoRA) Division*

- Presentation to NOAA/NESDIS Operational Satellite SVW Requirements Workshop, 5 - 8 June 2006, TPC, Miami

*“**Expanding the Impact of Satellite Surface Vector Wind*
*Measurements on Coastal Operational Forecasts*
*Produced by National Weather Service Forecast Offices**”*

## WFO Site Visits

**Miami**

**San Juan**

**Seattle**

**Portland**

**Medford**

**Eureka**

**Honolulu**

**Anchorage**

**Juneau**

**Yakutat**

**Mt. Holly**

**Upton**

**Taunton**

**Brownsville**

**Corpus Christi**

**Wakefield**

*WFO Response (SOO Surveys) ............................. **22 + 2 (73%)*
*Total Forecaster Survey Responses ....................... **108 + 17*
*Average No. Surveys per WFO ............................... **~ 5*

***WFO Site Visits***

***WFO Surveys***

- 20  multiple choice questions, regarding SVW familiarity and utility in Marine Forecasts
- and Warnings, Short (days 1,2) and Long (days 3+)  term forecasts.  Distinguish QuikSCAT
- and WindSat impacts.  Rank possible improvements in SVW data.  Sent to 33 WFO.

- 2-day visits to 16 selected WFO.  Observe Marine Desk forecast preparation (several shifts).
- Brief WFO staff on SVW retrievals, accuracies, rain-flags, etc.

##  Cumulative responses to 5 questions

-  Suggests that satellite SVW data are secondary tools in marine forecast prep
-  QuikSCAT is used, WindSat is not

## Slide 4

##  Supports suggestion that SVW data (QuikSCAT) is a useful, secondary tool

-  Supports suggestion that SVW data (QuikSCAT) is a useful, secondary tool
-    for the short range

##   SVW data (QuikSCAT) is less useful for long range than it was for short range

-   SVW data (QuikSCAT) is less useful for long range than it was for short range

##  SVW data (QuikSCAT) is a useful secondary tool for Marine Warnings

-  SVW data (QuikSCAT) is a useful secondary tool for Marine Warnings

##  Tandem, wide-swath scatterometer missions would provide a 40% to 60%

-  Tandem, wide-swath scatterometer missions would provide a 40% to 60%
-    timeliness improvement

##  SVW data close to shore more important than abundant SVW data

-  SVW data close to shore more important than abundant SVW data

## Summary

* **SVW data are used as a “supplementary” data source in operations *
*  **(forecasts,warnings, etc.) at coastal WFO*

* **Utility comparable to other ancillary satellite datasets (e.g. cloud vector wind, soundings, etc.)*
* **WindSat is unknown to forecasters; rarely used (as of Winter 2005-2006)*

* **Most Desired Improvements (Critical Limitations) include SVW retrievals*
*   **near shore and the data update cycle (time between overflights)*

* **Largest concentrations of marine users are near shore*
* **Every site visit revealed a desire for more frequent data*

* **Survey and Site Visits of US Coastal WFO completed as of April 2006*

* **73% survey response rate*
* **WFO staff professional, cooperative, receptive; person-to-person contact is valuable*
* **Survey and site visit write-ups to be synthesized and published*

## Impact of QuikSCAT in LAPS and MM5: a pilot study (Snook et al. 2002)

***Impact of QuikSCAT in LAPS and MM5: ****a pilot study (Snook et al. 2002)*

*QSCAT R1 *

*Low Pressure System in NE Pacific*

* **AVN Initialization*
* **AVN into LAPS *
* **QSCAT into LAPS *

*Three Forecast Experiments (0.25**° MM5)*

## 12hr Forecast

*12hr Forecast*

*24hr Forecast*

*AVN*

*AVN in LAPS*

*QSCAT in LAPS*

*QSCAT in LAPS*

*AVN in LAPS*

*AVN*

- White contours: SLP
- Black contours: 3hr accumulated rainfall

## 36hr Forecast

*48hr Forecast*

*AVN*

*AVN in LAPS*

*QSCAT in LAPS*

*QSCAT in LAPS*

*AVN in LAPS*

*AVN*

- White contours: SLP
- Black contours: 3hr accumulated rainfall

## Slide 14

## Slide 15

## Slide 16

## Slide 17