Results from GOES-R and JPSS Proving Ground Demonstrations at the HWT 2015 Spring Experiment

The Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) provides the GOES-R Proving Ground with an opportunity to conduct pre-launch demonstrations of baseline, future capabilities and experimental products associated with the next generation GOES-R geostationary satellite system. Many of these products have the potential to improve short-range hazardous weather nowcasting and forecasting. During the 2015 Spring Experiment, various GOES-R proxy products and capabilities were demonstrated within the real-time, simulated warning operations environment of the Experimental Warning Program (EWP) using AWIPS-II. This experiment was conducted Monday-Friday during the weeks of May 4, May 11, May 18, June 1, and June 8 and participants included 25 visiting NWS forecasters and 5 broadcast meteorologists.

GOES-R products demonstrated in the 2015 EWP Spring Experiment included: GOES Sounder TPW, LPW, and Derived Atmospheric Stability Indices using the GOES-R Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Legacy Atmospheric Profile (LAP) algorithm, GOES-R Convective Initiation algorithm, Probability of Severe nowcast model, PGLM Total Lightning products and Lightning Jump algorithm. Additionally, GOES-14 provided the HWT with 1-minute Super Rapid Scan Operations for GOES-R (SRSOR) imagery from May 18 to June 12, illustrating the very high frequency scanning capability of GOES-R. To demonstrate the enhanced value future algorithms will gain from very high temporal resolution satellite imagery, an Overshooting Top Detection algorithm was processed and displayed using the 1-minute satellite data. GOES-14 1-minute imagery was also utilized in the HWT Experimental Forecast Program (EFP) and in Storm Prediction Center (SPC) operations. As a JPSS Proving Ground activity, the NOAA Unique CrIS ATMS Processing System (NUCAPS) temperature and moisture profiles were demonstrated using the AWIPS-II NSHARP sounding analysis program.

Results from the GOES-R Proving Ground demonstrations at the 2015 HWT Spring Experiment are presented, including examples of product use and feedback from participants. Comments and examples from the EWP, EFP and SPC regarding the operational utility of 1-minute imagery will also be presented.