Research to operations for a new sensing paradigm

In the paper, we review the past four years experience of CASA, the center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere in the Experimental Warning Programs of NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed. CASA is a new paradigm for sensing based on low power x-band radars can observe the lower atmosphere, CASA maintains a test bed of 4 radars in southwest Oklahoma. The Hazardous Weather Test bed program seeks to link operational forecasting/warning and current research by bringing in NWS forecasters and scientists from around the county to review experimental data. Over 40 forecasters have observed and evaluated CASA data. The goal has been to identify unique weather features and capabilities observed in CASA data that provides information for weather assessment and warning. Forecasters participated in two activities: i) Case analysis where forecasters advanced manually through archived cases, scan-by-scan, discussing their analysis of weather features, comparison of CASA to NEXRAD data and current conceptual models for severe weather. ii) Real-Time evaluation of CASA data when a weather event occurs in the test bed. A Multi-method approach of participant observation, "think aloud" protocol, and surveys were used for evaluation and each year forecaster input has led to changed in the design of CASA systems.