A blended total water vapor product for the analysis and forecast of weather hazards

Over the past 20 years NOAA's Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS) researchers and analysts have developed satellite techniques and applications for water vapor products to help support their operational analysis and forecasts of potential weather hazards. Total water vapor has become so important that in just the last several years NOAA/NESDIS has collaborated with researchers at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) to produce an experimental global blended total water vapor product from various land and space-based remote sensing instruments. The poster will show the current experimental blended product, that is slated to become an operational product by the end of the decade; where it can be found on the web and why it will be a very useful product for forecasters. Applications with case study examples will show the utility of this value added product and how it can help forecasters improve their analysis and forecast of heavy precipitation and severe weather. A complimentary blended precipitable water vapor anomaly product is also being produced that can put a climatological spin on the day's water vapor analysis and also alert forecasters to potentially hazardous upcoming weather events.