Cloud Observation and Modeling Test Bed for Air Force Weather Applications: Overview and First Results

Air Force Weather (AFW) has documented requirements for real-time cloud analysis and short range cloud forecasts to support DoD missions around the world. To meet these needs, AFW utilizes the Cloud Depiction and Forecast System (CDFS) II system to develop a hourly cloud analysis and short range forecast. The system creates cloud masks from 16 different satellite sources and optimally merges them to create the analysis. This analysis then forms the initialization field for a short range ‘advective' based cloud forecast.

Northrop Grumman Corporation has recently delivered a CDFS II based Cloud Model Test Bed. This system offers the ability to test several aspects of the CDFS II system including: the effect of adding and subtracting sources of cloud imagery, the effect of changing source and skill of required external data sources, and the impact of changing the cloud information merge process among the various sources. In addition, the test bed offers a capability to generate a robust cloud modeling baseline against which to measure progress of a next generation Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) based advanced data assimilation system. Finally, the test bed allows the development and testing of new cloud modeling validation techniques (and sources) to provide greater confidence in results generated from the test bed.

This presentation will provide a basic overview of the CDFS II system and of the newly developed Test Bed and will include results from the first series of experiments conducted using the Test Bed.