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A Seasonal Rainfall Performance Probability Tool for Famine Early Warning Systems

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A Seasonal Rainfall Performance Probability Tool for Famine Early Warning Systems DECEMBER 2016 N O V E L L A A N D T H I A W 2575 A Seasonal Rainfall Performance Probability Tool for Famine Early Warning Systems NICHOLAS S. NOVELLA Climate Prediction Center, NOAA/National Centers for Environmental Prediction, College Park, and Innovim, LLC, Greenbelt, Maryland WASSILA M. THIAW Climate Prediction Center, NOAA/National Centers for Environmental Prediction, College Park, Maryland (Manuscript received 9 March 2016, in final form 22 June 2016) ABSTRACT This paper reports on the development of a new statistical tool that generates probabilistic outlooks of seasonal precipitation anomaly categories over Africa. Called the seasonal performance probability (SPP), it quantitatively evaluates the probability of precipitation to finish at predefined percent-of-normal anomaly categories corresponding to below-average (,80% of normal), average (80%–120% of normal), and above- average (.120% of normal) conditions. This is accomplished by applying methods for kernel density esti- mation (KDE), which compute smoothed, continuous density functions on the basis of more than 30 years of historical precipitation data from the Africa Rainfall Climatology, version 2, dataset (ARC2) for the remaining duration of a monsoon season. Discussion of various parameterizations of KDE and testing to determine optimality of density estimates (and thus performance of SPP for operational monitoring) are presented. Verification results from 2006 to 2015 show that SPP reliably provides probabilistic outcomes of seasonal rainfall anomaly categories by after the early to midstages of rain seasons for the major monsoon regions in East Africa, West Africa, and southern Africa. SPP has proven to be a useful tool by enhancing operational climate monitoring at CPC for its prognostic capability for famine early warning scenarios over Africa. These insights are anticipated to translate into better decision-making in food security, planning, and response objectives for the U.S. Agency for International Development/Famine Early Warning Systems Network (USAID/FEWS NET). 1. Introduction products: the Rainfall Estimator (RFE; Herman et al. 1997) and the African Rainfall Climatology (ARC; Love The continuing development of several satellite- et al. 2004; Novella and Thiaw 2013). These products derived precipitation-estimator products, in both oper- were created in response to the need for higher- ational and research capacities, has enabled users to resolution operational daily rainfall estimates in support better diagnose and understand the scope of pre- of the U.S. Agency for International Development/ cipitation regimes, extreme events, trends, hydrologic Famine Early Warning Systems Network (USAID/ cycles, and climate variability in the most inaccessible FEWS NET). The RFE and ARC products are unique in regions of the globe. To facilitate the monitoring of comparison with many other satellite rainfall estimators precipitation for food security and famine early warning because of their high, 0.18 gridded spatial resolution and systems, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) had their ability to blend in situ gauge and satellite in- developed and operationally deploys two rainfall formation on a near-real-time basis to render daily (0600– 0600 UTC) precipitation estimates over the African Denotes Open Access content. continent. Since 2001, these products have provided critical, timely early warning for food security pre- paredness, as they are routinely used in the identification Corresponding author address: Nicholas S. Novella, Climate of rainfall conditions over rain-fed agricultural and pas- Prediction Center, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, 5830 Uni- toral regions in parts of Africa (Verdin et al. 2005). versity Research Court, College Park, MD 20740. In 2013, the completion of the ARC, version 2.0 E-mail: [email protected] (ARC2), dataset (Novella and Thiaw 2013) has allowed DOI: 10.1175/JAMC-D-16-0111.1 Unauthenticated | Downloaded 09/25/21 07:37 PM UTC 2576 JOURNAL OF APPLIED METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY VOLUME 55 meteorologists at CPC to utilize more than 30 years of average (80%–120% of normal), and above-average daily, high-resolution satellite precipitation estimates (.120% of normal) conditions. These seasonal percent- for USAID/FEWS NET activities over Africa. ARC2 of-normal thresholds (80% and 120%) have been a has become an effective tool for the climate and famine reliable standard for demarcating anomalous rainfall early warning systems community as satellite records are conditions in operational monitoring at CPC, because they now long enough to facilitate historical examinations capture hydrometeorological impacts (e.g., drought or of climate conditions. Because ARC2 has been in- flooding hazards) for famine early warning systems over strumental for depicting the daily evolution of seasonal Africa. SPP is accomplished by applying kernel density rainfall in real time, statistical techniques can also be estimation (KDE) methods, which compute probability applied to these data to help to predict the outcome of density functions (PDFs) and cumulative distribution the rainfall season. In particular, for several locations in functions (CDFs) on the basis of the historical perfor- Africa that exhibit a well-defined monsoonal cycle, mance of precipitation from a given point in a season to the there are periods at which precipitation is climatologi- end of season. SPP exclusively relies on ARC2 real-time cally expected to commence, peak, and then weaken and climatological precipitation data over Africa, because throughout the course of the season. Continuous mon- the high temporal and spatial resolutions of ARC2 are itoring of these periods during operations allows us to essential for deriving probabilities of seasonal rainfall determine how well current seasonal rainfall performs performance. Unlike numerical weather/climate pre- with respect to the daily climatological normal totals as diction methods/models (GFS, CFS, ECMWF, etc.), SPP the season progresses. This process, however, does not is not so much a traditional forecast but simply a non- give us an objective measure of the projection of sea- parametric way to estimate the probability density of a sonal rainfall performance starting from a given date— random variable like precipitation with a complex distri- midseason for instance. It is apparent, though, that the bution. SPP output consists of a set of probability maps certainty of a seasonal outcome invariably increases as that are designed to provide the end user with a new the remaining monsoon season grows shorter. We pos- measure of the expected outcome of anomalously dry, tulate here that this relationship may also be expressed average, or anomalously wet seasonal conditions during in terms of a quantitative probability measure that any time in the season. It is anticipated that SPP will be a converges to 1 toward the end of the season. To quantify useful tool by enhancing operational climate monitoring at probability, we consider an array of hypothetical pre- CPC and also by providing additional guidance for 2 cipitation rates (mm day 1) from zero to infinity that, seasonal-outlook scenarios. Coupled with real-time pre- when projected onto the current seasonal rainfall total, cipitation anomaly maps, the generation of probabilistic will satisfy a number of rainfall categories (i.e., below- outlooks throughout various stages of the rainy season will average, average, and above-average rainfall) by the end assist in better decision-making in food security, planning, of the season. Such an array will then allow for a con- and response. Section 2 presents an overview of the sea- tinuous variable distribution necessary for probability sonality of African rainfall. Section 3 describes KDE sta- function analysis. In viewing future rainfall rates required tistical methods and the parameters selected for SPP over to achieve various degrees of anomaly, the following in- Africa. Section 4 illustrates and discusses SPP output and quiries are prompted: What are the probabilities of such shows several case and validation studies over monsoonal rates to occur according to the ARC2 long-term clima- regions of Africa. The final section provides a summary of tological record? How do we best estimate these proba- SPP and final remarks. bilities? How prevalent are seasonal rainfall reversals relative to persistence in the climatological monsoon 2. Seasonality of Africa precipitation data? Furthermore, how do historical precipitation rates deviate from the climatological normal precipitation rate As a vast continent spanning hemispheres, Africa throughout various instances in the season? possesses much diversity in its precipitation climate and The objective of this paper is to report on the devel- seasonal-transition regimes. A basic understanding of opment of a new statistical tool that sheds light on these the regions experiencing major and minor wet seasons questions by utilizing the ARC2 long-term precipitation and dry periods and of their timing over Africa is where record to generate probabilistic outlooks for seasonal SPP will be most applicable. According to Novella and rainfall throughout Africa. Simply named ‘‘seasonal Thiaw (2013), a continentally averaged annual rainfall performance probability’’ (SPP), this tool quantitatively maximum typically develops during the March–May evaluates the probability for seasonal precipitation to time frame when convection is extremely
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