National Aeronautics and Space Administration

SPoRT Quarterly July– September 2014 The SPoRT Join SPoRT on: NWSChat @ nasa_sport or blog REPORT with us @ http://nasasport.wordpress.com/ Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, AL http://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/sport/ The SPoRT Center is a NASA- and NOAA-funded project to transition unique observations and research capabilities to the operational community to improve short-term weather forecasts on a regional scale. While the direct beneficiaries of Quarterly Highlights these activities are selected Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and National Centers, the research leading to the transitional activities benefits the broader scientific community. SPoRT Attends EUMETSAT Satellite Conference Shown in the photo is a typical worksta- tion configuration in the MeteoSuisse The 2014 EUMETSAT Meteorological weather office, not unlike NWS WFO Satellite Conference took place on offices. The displays show typical satellite September 22–26 in the beautiful lakeside and in situ data products used to evaluate city of Geneva, Switzerland. Situated the current weather situation and to make where the Rhone exits Lake Geneva, short-term weather forecasts. Of note the city is a global financial center and is the nighttime microphysics product worldwide center for diplomacy thanks (top middle display), which is extensively to the presence of numerous interna- used to monitor low clouds and fog over tional organizations. EUMETSAT was the region. The discussion with Swiss joined in the organization and hosting of forecasters confirmed the validity of the the event by MeteoSuisse, the national (the equivalent to a National Weather approach SPoRT is taking with its use of provider for weather and climate services Service’s weather forecast office) located RGB imagery with NASA satellite data. in Switzerland. The focus of this year’s in the World Meteorological conference was on the use of satellite Organization (WMO) facility data for forecasting and in studying in Geneva to learn about how atmospheric processes. Several SPoRT the Swiss have been using team members attended the confer- RGB composite imagery from ence and presented research results their satellites to address crit- on SPoRT’s use of red-green-blue ical forecast problems for the (RGB) composite satellite imagery from last 10 years. The Europeans NASA’s EOS satellites. The presenta- have pioneered the use of tions were well received and provoked RGB image composites some post presentation discussion with from the Meteosat Second their European colleagues. Afterwards, Generation (MSG) sensors SPoRT team members were invited to address critical weather to visit a MeteoSuisse weather office issues in Europe and Africa. Recent Accomplishments

SPoRT program review by damage assessments. Upon completion AWIPS II Update of the workshop, a well-organized plan Science Advisory Committee SPoRT continues working with our partner and timeline was in place for getting the offices as they transition to AWIPS II, The SPoRT Science Advisory Committee near-real-time data to the DAT as well as helping them to utilize SPoRT-provided (SAC) met on August 28–30 at the National plans for training and assessments of the products. There are now 6 of our partners Space Science and Technology Center products during the fall 2014 and spring with the new DSS: Huntsville, AL; Houston/ (NSSTC) in Huntsville, Alabama to review 2015 severe weather seasons. team activities over the last two years. The Galveston, TX; Anchorage and Fairbanks, AK; Morriston, TN; and Miami, FL. Each SPoRT SAC is made up of stakeholders Experimental Product from NASA and NOAA and provides office chose the specific SPoRT-provided programmatic and scientific guidance Development Team products they want to receive. Boulder, to help shape future SPoRT activities. SPoRT is guiding the AWIPS II external CO and Raleigh, NC are pending regional The meeting included presentations by developer community in the creation of approval. Plans call for up to 7 new partner SPoRT team members on recent modeling new tools and capabilities through the offices to be transitioned in the final and data assimilation activities, product Experimental Product Development Team quarter of 2014. assessments and training, advances in (EPDT). EPDT’s focus has been to help data dissemination and decision support promote research-to-operations transition Initial collaborations systems (such as AWIPS II and web of data and techniques to the AWIPS II with Global Precipitation mapping services), and an overview of platform. SPoRT hosted a three-day EPDT Measurement mission new products from the suite of Suomi code sprint in Huntsville on September NPP instruments. Additionally, the team 23–25. During the code sprint, sub-teams Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is reported on recent accomplishments in within EPDT worked on various projects an exciting new NASA mission, whose core the GOES-R and JPSS Proving Ground such as the tracking meteogram tool, observatory was launched on February 27, projects and highlighted its disaster phased array radar display, and ingest 2014. SPoRT has been coordinating with assessment and response activities and display for GOES-R derived products. its partners on establishing the best prac- (for which it received a NASA Group They also extended the AWIPS II RGB tices to take advantage of GPM and other Achievement Award). Initial feedback on displays to support EUMETSAT recipes microwave data in operations. One of the SPoRT’s current activities and direction using source single-band data. The first partners to receive GPM data was the was largely positive and encouraging. A sub-team projects made significant prog- National Hurricane Center (NHC), adding final written report of formal SAC recom- ress during the code sprint and continued to the existing suite of passive microwave mendations will be delivered by the end the participants' learning through real- products SPoRT is already transitioning. of the calendar year. world, hands-on application of concepts. GPM provides a new platform to help The projects initiated during this workshop NHC investigate structure. Damage Assessment Toolkit will be refined over time and will help to The image below comes from NHC and displays the GPM 89 GHz RGB composite workshop extend the AWIPS II platform to address the needs of the GOES-R Proving Ground product over a few days During the last week of July, SPoRT and the meteorological community. before it made landfall on the Big Island Disasters Team hosted a technical exchange and discussion regarding future collaborations related to the NOAA/NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit (DAT). The three-day workshop focused on work related to the team’s recently funded disasters award from NASA Applied Sciences that SPoRT received as a follow on to a successful feasibility study. The meeting brought together stakeholders from NOAA/NWS management and forecast offices and data dissemination partners at USGS to develop a compre- hensive plan for the first of three years of collaborations. This effort will bring near- real-time Earth remote sensing products to the DAT to assist with severe weather GPM 89 GHz RGB composite product over Hurricane Iselle on August 5, 2014 at 11:15 am UTC.

2 The SPoRT Quarterly Report July – September 2014 of . The product combines the hori- OCONUS Research to Operations Interchange Meeting zontal and vertical polarizations into a single Geoffrey Stano attended the OCONUS Research to Operations Interchange Meeting in product. The resulting combination empha- , HI on July 29–Aug 1. This meeting brought together developers and operational sizes strong convection and deep clouds in personnel to focus on GOES-R and Suomi NPP applications outside of the lower forty- bright red. This is only the first effort in what eight states. NASA SPoRT presented on its research to operations activities with Alaska may be a wider set of collaborations using and Pacific Region as well as with the National Centers and the forecast office in San Juan, GPM data. Puerto Rico. The participants also discussed the operational needs from these specific end users and provided a forum for the mission managers to update the status of the GOES-R and Suomi NPP programs.

Research/Transition Updates

Summer/Fall LIS assessment Other LIS activities are a critical component of the CalWater 2 field campaign. The SPoRT AOD composite An assessment of the real-time Land SPoRT personnel are working on product will provide the science investiga- Information System (LIS) run at SPoRT is developing a 30-year LIS soil moisture tors leading the field campaign with critical ongoing from August to October with three climatology over the Continental U.S., information on the concentration and NOAA/NWS weather forecast offices: spanning 1981–2010. Such a climatology spatial variability of Asian aerosols across Huntsville, AL; Houston/Galveston, TX; at relative high resolution (~3 km) would the Pacific Ocean that will help with their and Raleigh, NC. The focus of the assess- help to place real-time LIS soil moisture aircraft mission activities, such as planning ment is to determine the potential utility of into proper historical context for better appropriate departure times and flight LIS soil moisture products for decisions assessing drought and areal flooding tracks. Additionally, investigators involved involving weekly drought monitoring and potential. SPoRT is pursuing applications in a SPoRT-led NASA proposal submitted evaluating areal flooding potential based of LIS soil moisture in the Applied Sciences in July intend to assimilate the AOD product on antecedent soil moisture conditions and Public Health arenas using this soil into the Weather Research and Forecasting on a case-by-case basis. Forecasters at moisture climatology. Additionally, SPoRT with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model in a each office were asked to complete online seeks to upgrade to the latest version of project that aims to quantitatively diagnose surveys consisting of short questions LIS currently supported by NASA GSFC. the impact of Asian aerosols on precipita- that help quantify the use and utility of The upgrade is important so that SPoRT tion events associated with ARs. the LIS data for drought monitoring and modifications to LIS can be more easily areal flooding events. Through the end incorporated and officially supported by The SPoRT AOD composite product of September, 18 online surveys have the LIS development team. The soil mois- combines information from the been completed, 16 in the area of drought ture climatology is being made with the NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging monitoring and 2 in areal/river flooding. latest public version of LIS. Spectroradiometer (MODIS), NOAA Preliminary survey feedback has indicated Geostationary Operational Environmental high confidence in the LIS data, and that Satellite (GOES), and Japan Meteorological the data were being incorporated to some Aerosol Optical Depth Agency (JMA) Multi-functional Transport extent into decisions regarding the U.S. product Satellite (MTSAT) in order to generate Drought Monitor classifications, particularly In 2014, SPoRT began developing an detailed near-real time maps of the on sub-county scales. The most relevant aerosol optical depth (AOD) composite concentration and spatial variability of output fields applied to drought monitoring product in an effort to monitor the SPoRT aerosols across the entire Pacific Ocean have consistently been the column-inte- staff transport of Asian aerosols to the basin. Developing an AOD product grated relative soil moisture and the weekly western United States. The AOD composite capable of effectively mapping the change of this variable. Forecasters have product will support the NOAA CalWater 2 trans-Pacific transport of Asian aerosols also provided SPoRT with valuable feed- field campaign that is set to take place from is not a trivial task due to frequent cloud back regarding the display of the data in January to March 2015 with the objective cover over the Pacific, which prevents valid AWIPS II, which has already led to improved of developing a better understanding of the AOD retrievals. Through combining all the fidelity of the weekly change soil moisture interaction of aerosols with atmospheric available information from polar-orbiting field and ideas for a dynamic soil moisture rivers (ARs) and the subsequent impact and geostationary satellites, the cloud change field based on varied time intervals. on precipitation. Aircraft missions that will cover issues are mitigated in the SPoRT gather essential in situ measurements of aerosols over the eastern Pacific Ocean continued on page 5

July – September 2014 The SPoRT Quarterly Report 3 Satellite Proving Ground Activities

Total lightning at the Aviation from GOES-R, the PGLM has helped set product developed by Dr. Bob Kuligowski Weather Center the stage for how these data can aid the at NESDIS. SPoRT coordinates with Dr. aviation community, particularly in data Kuligowski to transition the QPE product to (Excerpted from the final report for the sparse regions. end users for assessment and evaluation. summer experiment by Amanda Terborg, During the summer, the Honolulu forecast Satellite Liaison, AWC.) New Total Lightning office was informally observing the QPE SPoRT’s pseudo-geostationary lightning product to look for potential training cases, mapper (PGLM) product was again avail- Collaborations gain an understanding of the product, able for assessment at the Aviation SPoRT continues to work with the light- and to see how it may integrate best into Weather Center’s Summer Demonstration. ning community to establish collaborative operations. During this informal review, The use of the PGLM was limited due to partnerships with owners of numerous the Honolulu office provided a number several of the ground-based lightning ground-based lightning mapping arrays of suggestions to improve the use of the mapping arrays that were used to create (LMA). The effort relies on SPoRT’s eleven product. One is to adjust the color curve the PGLM being down for maintenance. years of expertise of transitioning these from its default setting to one that matches However, the PGLM still received input data to operations. By extending these the rain rate products available in AWIPS from the participants during the FAA oper- efforts, SPoRT can work with additional now. Forecasters will now have the option ations in the latter half of the summer forecast partners to assess the utility of to use the default curve or the modified experiment. One response was a request total lightning, as well as help prepare one. Additionally, the office requested to for a change in the format of the PGLM forecasters for the Geostationary Lightning expand the region covered by the QPE mosaic for use in N-AWIPS, the Aviation Mapper that will launch aboard GOES-R. product. Since QPE is derived from GOES- Weather Center’s display system. The This quarter has seen several successes. West, SPoRT is working on updates to use current format does not allow for easy The first has been the initial reception of the wider region so that the QPE product overlays with other observations. As such, LMA data from Kennedy Space Center. can be viewed over other locations of the Aviation Weather Center has requested To date, the data feed has only been interest to Pacific Region, such as Wake that the format be changed to GRIB2 to available briefly, but the groundwork is set Island and American Samoa, neither of better utilize these data in operations. This to provide these data once the network which have their own radar. is being addressed now by SPoRT. As for is fully operational. Additionally, SPoRT the operational impact, one of the largest is working closely with three additional National Centers for concerns by FAA managers is determining networks that will likely be online for the Weather and Climate when aircraft need to be diverted around a 2015 convective season. These include the Prediction Visit storm, as this requires extra fuel. The fuel LMAs at Wallops Island, Virginia (NASA), amount also can be significant depending the North Georgia LMA in Atlanta, Georgia On August 5–6, SPoRT team members on the areal coverage of storms. Further (Georgia Tech), and the Ontario LMA in traveled to the NCWCP (National Centers complicating the issue is that for longer Toronto, Canada (Environment Canada). for Weather and Climate Prediction) in flights, it is necessary to make a diversion The latter network is awaiting a final College Park, MD for a visit to the Weather decision well ahead of any impending memorandum of understanding between Prediction Center (WPC), Satellite Analysis weather. Generally, traffic flow managers Environment Canada and NOAA and will Branch (SAB), and Ocean Prediction attempt to prevent diversions until abso- support the Buffalo, New York Weather Center (OPC). The visit was hosted by lutely necessary. Typically, it is only when Forecast Office. Michael Folmer, satellite liaison for WPC/ lightning is observed in the radar echoes SAB/OPC and a champion for SPoRT at that consideration will be given to changing Continued collaborations the NCWCP. The goals of the visit were traffic patterns en route. As a result of the (1) to discover how SPoRT-provided PGLM demonstration, it is believed that with Pacific Region products are used by forecasters there, total lightning will be of great use. With In May, SPoRT participated in the first of (2) to discuss how SPoRT-provided both intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground two Proving Ground visiting scientist trips data would be used during the AWIPS II observations, managers will be able to to the ’s Pacific transition, and (3) to meet with NCEP's identify lightning activity much more accu- Region in Honolulu, Hawaii. The first trip AWIPS II Development Team in prepara- rately, particularly in the vicinity of the Gulf set the stage for the initial collaborations tion for the Visiting Scientist Program trip of Mexico and Atlantic flight routes where with Pacific Region and the Honolulu in September. SPoRT staff were shown there may only be satellite and lightning Weather Forecast Office. One of the several instances of SPoRT-provided data data available. With Geostationary outcomes was the focus on the NESDIS in operational use, and gained an under- Lightning Mapper observations coming Quantitative Precipitation Estimate (QPE) standing of potential data flow issues.

4 The SPoRT Quarterly Report July – September 2014 GOES-R Visiting Scientist and display RGB products in the National AIRS Total Ozone products Centers Perspective (NCP) of AWIPS Program: RGB products SPoRT has worked closely with Michael II. This ‘perspective’ is one of two GUI Folmer, the GOES-R and JPSS Proving in the AWIPS II National options in AWIPS II. WFOs transitioning Ground Satellite Liaison, to develop and Centers Perspective to AWIPS II will use the WFO perspective, transition its total column ozone and while National Centers (traditional users September was the culmination of a joint ozone anomaly products to the Ocean of NAWIPS) will use the NCP. SPoRT visiting scientist project as SPoRT's Kevin Prediction Center (OPC). These prod- has developed plug-ins for the WFO McGrath joined team members from CIRA ucts have been evaluated and used in perspective and plans to develop and CIMSS visiting the National Center operations at the OPC to forecast cyclo- software for the NCP. for Weather and Climate Prediction to genesis, stratospheric intrusions, and discuss and test methodologies to ingest hurricane-force wind events. The AIRS The trip included discussions with NCEP ozone products can be used to enhance AWIPS II developers as well as testbed interpretation and increase forecaster work within the NCP, where SPoRT has confidence in the Air Mass RGB imagery successfully displayed pre-generated Air before GOES-R launch. Future goals Mass RGB imagery. SPoRT, CIRA, and include expanding the ozone products CIMSS plan to continue discussing to include Metop-A IASI and next-gen- options to ingest and display RGB eration S-NPP/JPSS NUCAPS retrievals imagery in NCP by leveraging existing in order to increase temporal and spatial capabilities demonstrated within the coverage of the products. Emily Berndt Weather Forecast Office perspective. gave an invited presentation summarizing An ultimate goal is to develop the capa- these activities at the July virtual GOES-R bility to generate 24-bit RGB products Science Seminar. within NCP based upon single-channel Pre-generated MODIS Air Mass imagery in the source data. The figure shows an AWIPS II NCP using the NCEP McIDAS ingest example display within NCP. plug-in and the NCEP Satellite display plug-in.

Aerosol Optical Depth product continued

AOD product, and trans-Pacific transport of aerosols can be realized. The product is generated at six-hourly and daily temporal resolutions on a 0.5° grid domain extending from East Asia to the central United States. The six-hourly product will be very useful for the WRF-Chem model assimilation activities while the daily product will support the NOAA CalWater 2 field campaign activities. Panel a shows an example of the SPoRT AOD daily composite product valid on 12 March 2010 at 00 UTC while panel a. b shows the MODIS true-color composite image on that same day. The product clearly shows a dust storm (which would transit across the Pacific) beginning to propagate eastward from Asia. Areas of broad overcast cloud cover, such as the extratropical cyclone in the central Pacific, prevent any valid AOD retrievals and cause gaps in the spatial coverage. However, in the regions of scattered and broken cloud cover, the product shows the spatial coverage of AOD very well.

b.

(a) SPoRT AOD composite map valid on 12 March 2010 at 00 UTC and (b) MODIS true color RGB composite image on that same day.

July – September 2014 The SPoRT Quarterly Report 5 Blog Summary The Wide World of SPoRT blog received over 2,500 views during the third quarter of 2014, pushing the total number of views to over 60,000 since the blog’s inception. The great majority of views came from the United States (1,849). However, as in the previous quarter, Canada (109 views), and the Republic of Korea (102 views) rounded out the top three spots. The international presence increased on the Wide World of SPoRT blog this past quarter, and as always, we welcome research and operational weather enthu- siasts alike from all across the globe.

The blog welcomed 16 posts during the third quarter (July–September), with the most contributions (10) during the month of September. The most popular post during the quarter was made by the Raleigh, NC WFO, which is currently participating in a formal assessment of several SPoRT Land Information System (LIS) variables for help with drought moni- toring and flood risk evaluation. This post detailed soil moisture changes over the last week of August for the Piedmont region of North Carolina, which had experienced very dry weather conditions. This spell Suomi-NPP VIIRS Nighttime Microphysics image centered over the state of Montana, of dry weather and the associated reductions in soil 0844 UTC 9 Sep 2014

WFO Corner There has not been significant recent has used the LIS data during weekly North flooding, but the data are used each week Carolina Drought Management Advisory Albuquerque for input to the U. S. Drought Monitor. Council collaboration calls, providing input Several times, drought designation lines to the U.S. Drought Monitor. For example, The office continues to use the suite of have been redrawn at least partly due to in late September, Michael used the 0–200 SPoRT products and RGB imagery. Cloud the SPoRT LIS soil moisture data. HUN cm soil moisture product to help provide and storm structure associated with the looks forward to receiving the SPoRT LIS justification for expansion of D0 designa- rare passing of a tropical storm (Odile) was soil moisture climatology, currently under tion for drought across a major portion of analyzed using RGB imagery analogous to production. the North Carolina Piedmont. In addition, future ABI capabilities. Michael has promoted and shared the Total lightning data from the North LIS products with Raleigh staff and other Great Falls Alabama Lightning Mapping Array have collaborators including the North Carolina Forecasters have recently used RGB seen increased use since their reintroduc- State Climate Office. imagery to examine the season’s first tion into operations via AWIPS II. In early snowfall and melt in Montana. In addition, August, the total lightning data helped Tucson their use of the Nighttime Microphysics the warning forecaster with a flash flood This past summer’s drought conditions RGB has included the examination of warning decision (see the Wide World of in the west resulted in many lofted dust warm precipitating cloud structures and SPoRT blog). Also, the data were used events affecting air and ground transporta- the associated particle phase changes, for site support at the Rock the South tion. The Tucson WFO has been using the mountain wave clouds not resolved by Festival in Cullman County, helping to Dust RGB imagery from SPoRT to monitor standard GOES IR at night, and localized provide sufficient lead time for the proper these and other events. fog in small river valleys evacuation of the outdoor event.

All WFOs are invited to submit updates Huntsville Raleigh on assessments or use of SPoRT prod- WFO Huntsville continues with the assess- The Raleigh office continues to participate ucts to be featured here. To contribute, ment of the SPoRT LIS products for flood/ in the LIS Soil Moisture Assessment, led by email [email protected] drought applications (through October). Hydrologist Michael Moneypenny. Michael

6 The SPoRT Quarterly Report July – September 2014 moisture did not lead to any changes in Presentations the U.S. Drought Monitor for the following week. However, the SPoRT LIS soil • Berndt, E. B., B. T. Zavodsky, M. J. Folmer, and G. J. Jedlovec. Impact of the moisture variables have certainly helped Assimilation of Hyperspectral Infrared Retrieved Profiles on Advanced Weather forecasters in Raleigh and other locations and Research Model Simulations of a Non-Convective Wind Event, EUMETSAT (Houston and Huntsville) with drought Meteorological Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, September 26, 2014. (presented designation decisions during the assess- by Kevin Fuell) ment period. Six posts during the quarter • Berndt, E. B., B. T. Zavodsky, M. J. Folmer, A. L. Molthan, and G. J. Jedlovec. The have involved the LIS and its application Use of Red Green Blue Air Mass Imagery to Investigate the Role of Stratospheric Air during the assessment period. in a Non-Convective Wind Event EUMETSAT Meteorological Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, September 26, 2014 (poster presented by Kevin Fuell) Other posts during the quarter largely involved the use of total lightning data • Berndt, E. B., B. T. Zavodsky, and G. J. Jedlovec, 2014: Demonstration of AIRS and satellite RGB composite imagery Total Ozone Products to Operations to Enhance User Readiness. GOES-R Science in forecast operations. The Great Falls, Seminar, 25 July 2014. [Available at http://www.goes-r.gov/users/sci-sem/2014_07_25. MT office made a great contribution to html]. the blog in mid-September. Their post, • Blankenship, C. B., J. L. Case, B. T. Zavodsky and G. J. Jedlovec: Assimilation titled “A richly-structured Nighttime of SMOS retrieved soil moisture into the Land Information System, EUMETSAT Microphysics RGB image”, contained Meteorological Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, September 26, 2014. (presented very detailed analysis of an array of by G. J. Jedlovec) cloud types across their area in the early • Burks, Jason: Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System – Next Generation morning hours of September 9th. This (AWIPS 2): A Short-Term Prediction and Transition (SPoRT) Perspective, NASA/UAH post highlighted the ability of RGBs to Brown Bag Seminar, Sep. 24, 2014. more effectively assess cloud types and their potential sensible weather impacts • Jedlovec, G. J.: Impact of the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) (primarily that of fog and low stratus). This Project on the Operational Weather Community, NASA/UAH Brown Bag Seminar, is a great instructional post for forecasters Sep. 17, 2014. who will be gradually incorporating these • Stano, G. T.: NASA SPoRT OCONUS Collaboarations, OCONUS R2O Interchange data and imagery into operations in Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, 30 July 2014 the GOES-R era. A post about the use of total lightning data detailed its use regarding a flash flood warning situation Publications at the Huntsville office in early August. • COMET Program lesson – GOES-R GLM: Introduction to the Geostationary Lightning Two more recent posts showed micro- Mapper (Dr. Geoffrey Stano served as an additional science contributor for the wave images of from the module.) GPM satellite, and ASCAT wind data and MODIS Airmass RGB imagery from the • Stano, G. T., C. J. Schultz, L. D. Carey, D. R. MacGorman, and K. M. Calhoun, 2014: first hurricane-force extra-tropical low in Total lightning observations and tools for the 20 May 2013 Moore, Oklahoma, tornadic the East Pacific this cold season. supercell. J. Operational Meteor., 2 (7), 71–88. • Chronis, T., R. Said, K. Cummins, W. Koshak, E. McCaul, E. Williams, G. Stano, and While we can’t mention all posts made M. Grant (accepted with revisions): Climatological Diurnal Variation of CG Lightning during the quarter, the SPoRT group is Peak Current over the Continental United States. J. Geophys. Res. very appreciative of the efforts of all of • Gravell, C. M., J. R. Mecikalski, K. M. Bedka, W. E. Line, R. A. Petersen, J. M. Sieglaff, our collaborative authors. Please visit G. T. Stano, and S. J. Goodman (submitted): Using GOES-R demonstration products the Wide World of SPoRT blog to see to “Bridge the Gap” between severe weather watches and warnings: An example from these and other posts when you can, the 20 May 2013 Moore, OK Tornado Outbreak. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. at http://nasasport.wordpress.com. Also, you can follow us through Facebook (NASA SPoRT Center) and Seminars Twitter (@NASA_SPoRT). If you would like privileges to post on the SPoRT blog, NESDIS snowfall rate products and new development. please send an email to Kris White Huan Meng, NOAA/NESDIS/STAR, July 2. ([email protected]).

Thanks, and we hope you’ll keep reading!

July – September 2014 The SPoRT Quarterly Report 7 Visitors Dr. Huan Meng (NOAA/NESDIS/STAR) Michael Smith, Senior Vice President Dr. Ralph Ferraro (NOAA/NESDIS/ visited the NSSTC on July 2–3. Dr. and Chief Innovation Executive for STAR) visited with SPoRT on September Meng works on snowfall rate detection AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions (AES) 24. Dr. Ferraro is Chief of the Satellite algorithms from NASA, NOAA, and visited with SPoRT on July 10 and gave Climate Studies Branch at NESDIS EUMETSAT microwave observations a presentation on his current activities. and specializes in passive microwave and has been working with SPoRT for AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions is a satellite observations. He is involved the last year to transition and evaluate world leader in business-to-business with the PMM Science Team and is the operational utility of these products mitigation of extreme weather which working within NOAA to identify NWS with operational NWS partners. Dr. is taking an ever-enlarging toll on the forecaster applications for data from Meng visited to discuss her NASA- American economy. Mike presented the the Global Precipitation Measurement funded project to apply techniques for current state of the business during his (GPM) Mission. Dr. Ferraro was visiting snowfall rate detection to the NASA/ visit to Huntsville, and discussed new SPoRT to discuss ways that SPoRT can NOAA Advanced Technology Microwave technologies used by SPoRT to save lives work with NESDIS to expedite the use Sounder (ATMS) aboard the Suomi-NPP and property that could benefit AES’s of GPM data in NWS operations through satellite. clientele across the nation and the world. SPoRT’s expertise in formatting data for AWIPS, developing training, and obtaining Science and Operations OfficerJohn forecaster feedback. Schmidt and hydrologist Tom Wallace from the Southeast River Forecast Center visited SPoRT on July 23. Discussions were conducted on how SPoRT's coupled LIS-Noah runs might be potentially utilized by RFCs.

Calendar of Events 2014 November 18 – 20 Suomi NPP Applications Workshop Huntsville, AL December 15 – 19 AGU Fall Meeting San Francisco, CA 2015 January 5 – 9 AMS Annual Meeting Phoenix, AZ February 23 – 26 NOAA Satellite Science Week Boulder, CO April 27 – May 1 NOAA Satellite Conference Greenbelt, MD May 25 – 29 SMOS Science Conference Madrid, Spain June 15 – 19 Satellite Proving Ground/User Readiness Meeting Kansas City, MO September 21 – 25 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference Toulouse, France

National Aeronautics and Space Administration George C. Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL 35812 www.nasa.gov/marshall www.nasa.gov

NP-2014-11-165-MSFC G-80203