NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System's Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) Program – PGRR Projects Ready to Aid in Responding to Current and Future Severe Environmental Events

This presentation will highlight the actions taken to prepare for the successful operational application of NOAA Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Program's Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) projects in response to real-world environmental events. During the recent Dec 2015 heavy rain event in the US Midwest the JPSS River Flooding Products assisted NWS River Forecast Center and US Army Corp of Engineer decisionmakers identify the extent of the flooding. This allowed them to optimize the use of their limited resources to assist the public in safely responding. A PGRR team worked to evaluate the NOAA Unique CrIS/ATMS Processing System (NUCAPS) vertical temperature and moisture sounding during the Alaskan Spring Fire Season. Another team has created a beta-version of a blended fire and smoke product. A demonstration of this product was provided to NWS Incident Meteorologists (IMET) during their annual meeting in Mar 2016. The PGRR Team used the IMET feedback to prepare for the operational application of this product during the 2016 Alaska and CONUS Fire Season. Information will be provided on the JPSS Hydrology Initiative and their study of the use of JPSS products in such precipitation events as the January California Atmospheric River Event, the January East Coast snowstorm, and the Mar Central US flooding.