CIMSS-NOAA Weekly Report [ Archive ]

IN THE PRESS:

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR:

CIMSS Participates in NASA Code Sprint: Jordan Gerth and Kaba Bah of the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) participated in the Experimental Products Development Team (EPDT) code sprint at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1-3 December 2015. Gerth and Bah wrote an Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) visualization plug-in for the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) active fires product. AWIPS is the primary software package that the National Weather Service (NWS) uses for displaying weather information and preparing forecasts. After a code review, the new AWIPS plug-in will be available to all NWS field offices to depict the location of wildfires. (J. Gerth, CIMSS, 608-263-4942)

Meeting of the Space Platform Requirements Working Group: The Office of Space Architecture and Advanced Planning (OSAAP) within NESDIS is conducting an architecture study in FY16 and FY17 to determine the most cost effective space segment architectures for performing future NOAA weather, space weather, and environmental remote sensing (excluding land mapping) missions. As part of this NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture (NSOSA) study, the Space Platform Requirements Working Group (SPRWG) will determine needs and priorities for weather, space weather and environmental remote sensing (excluding land mapping) space-based observations in the epoch of 2030 in support of the NSOSA study Architecture Development Team (ADT). The priorities, as specified in the NSOSA terms of reference, will be NOAA operational functions first, followed by NOAA non-operational functions. The SPRWG consists of members from the user community associated with NOAA mission service areas, including membership from NESDIS, the National Weather Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Ocean Service, and the Office of Atmospheric Research. Membership also includes representatives from other stakeholder organizations (e.g., cooperative institutes, academia, other research organizations, etc.), spanning the spectrum of NOAA observational needs. The SPRWG will provide subject matter expertise to the NSOSA process as part of a final report to NESDIS in 2017. The inaugural meeting of the SPRWG was held in Silver Spring (day 1) and Camp Springs (day 2) on December 2-3. (C. Velden, CIMSS, 608-262-9168) 

Global Cryosphere Watch Meetings: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) program held various team meetings and a GCW Steering Group (GSG) meeting 7-11 December 2015 in Boulder, Colorado. The meetings were hosted by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado-Boulder. The teams and the GSG discussed recent progress, which has been substantial, and worked through a redefinition of the surface network station and site structure. The Snow Watch group presented results on its snow product intercomparison product, which includes some NOAA products. Jeff Key attended as a member of the Steering Group, lead on the Website and Outreach team, and member of the CryoNet and Terminology teams. (J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, jkey@ssec.wisc.edu) 

ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP:

ASPB Completes the 2016 Combined Federal Campaign Pledges: The Advanced Satellite Products Branch (ASPB) completed the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) during December 2015 with a donation total of over $3800 to the Badgerland CFC in Madison, WI. One NOAA Office of Atmospheric Research (OAR) colleague, who has spent time in Madison, also contributed to this generous total from the NOAA contingent at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), wherein the ASPB is stationed in Madison. With this contribution, a participation rate of 116% was achieved. (T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291) 

VIIRS Captures Hurricane-Force Low Nearing U.S. Pacific Northwest: The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite captured a stunning image of a powerful low packing hurricane-force winds as it neared the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States on December 9th, 2015. The image was downloaded via direct broadcast, processed at the Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) and distributed widely via social media. (L. Gumley, CIMSS, 608-265-5388; K. Strabala, CIMSS, 608-263-8752; M. Mooney, CIMSS, 608-265-2123) 

  (Click image to enlarge)

CIMSS Leads Mini Training Workshops in Honolulu: Jordan Gerth, of the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), led two three-hour workshops on the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) at the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office and Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, 8-9 December 2015. Most participants were NWS Honolulu meteorologists, though two were from the United States Navy-Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), and two others were from the Pacific International Training Desk at the University of Hawaii. Participants conveyed their sincere appreciation for the training, and are looking forward to more comprehensive training in the future. NWS funded the development of training materials related to tropical meteorology forecast challenges to assure "day one" readiness of NWS staff in the western Pacific Basin. (J. Gerth, CIMSS, 608-263-4942)

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