WISDOM System 2009 Proof of Concept Test Results

NOAA with support from DHS Science and Technology, the Air Force Weather Agency and a consortium of academic and industry partners are in the second year of developing and testing a new system to improve upper air data in areas that are poorly observed. The Weather In Situ Deployment Optimization Method (WISDOM) system is designed around the availability of small constant-density balloons, and the availability of small (100 gram) payloads with sensors that include over the horizon Global Positioning System and satellite radio capabilities. The concept is that large numbers of WISDOM balloons with the GPS payload are released to optimize weather prediction at a future time for phenomena of interest. Advanced techniques of assimilation and modeling will used to determine the release locations of the balloons to optimize their trajectories to improve future numerical weather prediction. An initial test of the WISDOM system was conducted in fall 2008 aimed at late-season tropical cyclone prediction in the Atlantic basin. In 2009 the program sought to quantify the forecast improvement provided by ingesting WISDOM data into numerical weather prediction models, including ESRL's FIM model. Two major hurricanes threatening the US were targeted for the WISDOM 2009 Proof of Concept deployments. In addition to providing wind data the 2009 WSB will also included termination devices and a pressure sensor. Up to 250 WISDOM balloon systems were launched from up to ten sites in the continental US and overseas with the aim for improving numerical weather prediction. The initial results of the 2009 hurricane season data analysis and OSSE will be discussed.