Infusing Low-Earth Orbiting Satellite Observations into Weather Forecast Operations

NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Observations and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Program are working together to extend and enhance operational forecaster use of data products from JPSS and other polar-orbiting / low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The emphasis is on infusing these satellite products and related techniques into NWS Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) workflows, through five interdependent activities:

• Identify and understand forecaster requirements for polar / LEO data products, and record use cases in a systematic, linkable, consistent fashion;
• Apply remote sensing science and satellite product expertise to enhance processing, distribution, and rendering of data products;
• Develop and configure software to equip AWIPS to ingest, decode, store, display, and manipulate selected high-priority satellite products;
• Apply a Systems Engineering approach to ensure a concept of operations consistent with and traceable to overarching goals and needs;
• Ensure transparency and consensus around deployment of new data products or capabilities, through documentation, outreach, and training.

By articulating forecaster use cases for these satellite data products, we can link NWS agency directives and current capabilities to concrete requirements for observations, data products, capabilities, and services. Further, by verifying these requirements through “micro-projects” that apply new data or service inputs to specific forecasting tasks, we pinpoint where changes in the capability baseline (and potentially in the directives) would enhance forecast processes, products, or services. Throughout these activities, we are engaging with forecasters to understand and assess the operational impact and value of new satellite inputs, so as to maximize their integration into NWS operations.