Results from GOES-R Proving Ground Activities within the Storm Prediction Center

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series (GOES-R) Proving Ground (PG) provides the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, OK with an opportunity to evaluate various GOES-R proxy products and capabilities in operations. Through these activities, the PG seeks to increase forecaster awareness and preparedness for the upcoming launch of GOES-R, and to collect user feedback for continued product development. PG activities within the SPC are focused on how GOES-R can help the SPC complete its mission of issuing timely and accurate short-term forecast products for high-impact mesoscale weather events.

Satellite-based products that have recently been incorporated into SPC operations and are currently under evaluation include the UW-CIMSS Cloud Top Cooling algorithm, Overshooting Top Detection algorithm, and NearCast system. These products were chosen based off of specific SPC forecaster needs. Year-round, real-time demonstrations are conducted at a spare desk in operations, allowing forecasters to learn how to properly interpret the information and to identify situations where certain products perform well and where they have limited utility. This strategy provides exposure to several of the most applicable products to forecasters over a variety of seasons and weather regimes, while not overwhelming them with an abundance of new information that is not relevant to SPC operations.

SPC forecasters have also had the opportunity to evaluate the utility of Super Rapid Scan Operations for GOES-R (SRSOR) 1-minute imagery via GOES-14 in operations during three two-week periods including August 2013, May 2014, and August 2014. This demonstrates a capability of the GOES-R Advanced Baseline Imagery (ABI), which will have a temporal resolution of up to 30 seconds over a 1000x1000 km sector.

Case studies showing the utility of the GOES-R proxy products and the GOES-14 SRSOR to SPC operations are presented, and recent feedback and results from demonstrations are discussed.