The HydroMet Decision Support System: New applications in operational hydrology

Weather Decision Technologies (WDT) has developed and deployed HydroMet Decision Support Systems (HDSS) for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and the Environmental Protection and Prevention Agency (ARPAV) that overseas the Veneto region of northern Italy. Both systems utilizes high-resolution radar, rain gauge, satellite, and model datasets in real-time for QPE and QPF. The key technologies being utilized within HDSS for this purpose include the Quantitative Precipitation Estimation Using Multiple Sensors (QPE_SUMS) licensed from the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and the McGill Algorithm for Precipitation Nowcasting using Semi-Lagrangian Extrapolation (MAPLE) licensed from McGill University, Canada. Both HDSS components use variable Z-R and Z-S relations based on precipitation type (convective, stratiform, liquid, frozen, mixed) to determine total precipitation accumulation. HDSS results can be analyzed in a 3-D workstation environment or using a web browser plugin. These systems provide LCRA and ARPAV with a set of tools for the analysis, prediction, and verification of rainfall over their respective basins of responsibility. This paper will discuss the implementation and various components of HDSS and provide verification statistics.