Introduction and Purpose
The primary goals of NOAA’s Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project are “to improve the accuracy and reliability of hurricane forecasts; to extend lead time for hurricane forecasts with increased certainty; and to increase confidence in hurricane forecasts”. The Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation has as its primary objective to increase and improve the utilization of satellite data and related research in operational environmental assimilation and prediction applications. Helping to improve the overall quality of US Numerical Weather Prediction has been singled out as the primary short-term goal of JCSDA. This is aligned with the primary goals of HFIP since improvements in hurricane track and intensity forecasts are among the most important results of progress in NWP from a societal benefits point of view.
JCSDA and HFIP co-hosted the workshop to review the current status of satellite data assimilation specifically in the context of hurricane prediction. The Workshop was tasked with generating a report setting recommendations to HFIP on future research and development directions specifically concerning the use of satellite data.
Format
The Workshop included sessions covering the following topics:
(i) Data assimilation systems currently used for hurricane prediction,
(ii) Satellite data currently used for hurricane prediction, and
(iii) Identification of current shortfalls and strategies and directions for closing them.
Each session featured invited presentations and ample time for discussion. These session were followed by working group discussions aimed at developing recommendations for future satellite data assimilation activities in support of hurricane forecasting to be included in the Final Report from the Workshop compiled by the Organizing Committee.
Organizing committee:
Lars Peter Riishojgaard, JCSDA (Lars.P.Riishojgaard@nasa.gov)
Bob Atlas, NOAA/AOML (Robert.Atlas@noaa.gov),
Sid Boukabara, NOAA/STAR (Sid.Boukabara@noaa.gov)
Pat Phoebus, NRL/Monterey (7501@nrlmry.navy.mil)
Jim Yoe, NOAA/NWS/NCEP (James.G.Yoe@noaa.gov)
The Workshop agenda, presentations, and working group discussion summaries are available at http://www.jcsda.noaa.gov/meetings_HFIPWkshp2010_Agenda.php
