Short-term Prediction Research
and Transition Center

SPoRT ADAS

At the request of the Huntsville Weather Forecast Office (WFO), the SPoRT Center creates hourly ARPS Data Analysis System (ADAS) analyses. The 2-km domain (1130 x 880 grid points) covers the southeast United States. A two-hour forecast from the 13-km Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) provides the background field for the analysis, and METAR, mesonet, and maritime observations are ingested. The output fields available in AWIPS, 2 m temperature and relative humidity and 10 m wind, supplement other nowcasting products such as the Local Analysis Prediction System (LAPS) analyses

Convective Initiation

One satellite-based nowcasting product, based on the use of GOES for tracking an monitoring growing cumulus clouds, has been tailored for the Huntsville NWS Office. This convective initiation (CI) algorithm exploits the five infrared channels on GOES, and assesses various aspects of cumulus, including cloud-top cooling rates, whether cumulus are deep and if they contain large (versus narrow) updrafts. This algorithm, named "SATellite Convection AnalySis and Tracking (SATCAST) System", is described in detail at http://nsstc.uah.edu/johnm/ci_studies.html.

Since 2004, SATCAST has been running over the Southeastern 1/3rd of the U.S. at half-hourly time frequencies. Beginning in late 2005, a subsection of this domain, roughly from 30-35 N, and 83-88 W, is being processed for the NWSFO in Huntsville . These data are being fed into the AWIPS system, and are viewable by the forecasters at 30 minute intervals. Specific products being sent to the NWS are 30-min cloud-top cooling rates and the CI "scores" (1-8, with each 'score' a particular infrared interest field that is within a favorable range for CI). Efforts in 2006 were to perform a preliminary assessment of the CI fields within AWIPS, and evaluate what changes need to be made to increase the value these data may have to short-range thunderstorm forecasting. A web-based survey was developed, and will be presented in 2007. Additionally, Dr. Mecikalski has presented two training seminars to NWS forecasters on the use of these products.