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Tracking the raindrop from the sky to the summit to the sea...

Sky... measure and monitor

The atmosphere above the Tar River Basin will be scrutinized with remote and in-situ observing techniques pioneered by CI-FLOW partners. The goal is to produce the most accurate automated multi-sensor Quantitative Precipitation Estimate (QPE) for the Tar River Basin every 5 minutes on a 1-km spatial scale. The CI-FLOW multi-sensor QPE will incorporate information gathered from the multiple radars, rain gauges, satellites, numerical weather models, and lightning detection networks monitoring the basin to provide a continuous assessment of precipitation falling onto the watershed.

Goal: One NOAA multi-sensor quantitative precipitation estimation system

Existing NOAA QPE capabilities:

Current status:

NMQ/Q2 - www.nmq.nssl.noaa.gov

NMQ is being developed at NSSL as a community testbed for research, development, and research to operations in assessing viable QPE and flash flood scale QPF techniques. NMQ capabilities include quality control, data integration, and a national 3D mosaic, real Time QPE and VSTQPF Development and Run Environment (WDSS-II and SA), Verification and Assessment (QVS), and Operational Infusion and Enhancement. NMQ sets the stage for CI-FLOW-like prototype to be moved anywhere in the CONUS.

Q2 is the next generation of QPE using satellite, lightning detection, radar networks, upper air and surface observations, and models to estimate precipitation amounts. All NMQ-Q2 products are available in “real time” to CI-FLOW collaborators.

OHD: Multisensor Precipitation Estimator (MPE)

The MPE function within the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), integrates rain gauge, radar, and satellite estimates into fields covering the area of responsibility for individual WFO's and RFC's. MPE includes a large suite of interactive tools for quality control (QC) of all inputs, particularly interactive and automated rain gauge QC. The rainfall estimates are interpolated to a 4-km grid and updated hourly. An enhanced MPE (EMPE) is under final development; EMPE will create 1-km grids on a subhourly update cycle.

NESDIS: Hydro-Estimator (HE)

The HE hourly rainfall product is based on satellite infrared (IR) signatures for rainfall rate modulated by precipitable water and lower tropospheric mean relative humidity. An improved calibration of this algorithm is under development. Since its inputs come from geostationary satellites and numerical weather prediction models, coverage by the HE is nearly continuous in time and space across the conterminous United States and adjacent areas. Presently, HE output is ingested by MPE.

The CI-FLOW project will leverage these existing activities to create a research collaboration between NSSL, OHD, and NESDIS focused on the production of the most accurate multi-sensor QPE updated every 5 to 6 minutes on a 1-km spatial scale. This research collaboration will:

  1. Document existing QPE techniques and algorithms
  2. Compare the performance of these techniques and algorithms in past precipitation events to actual ground-truth rain gauge reports
  3. Identify the most accurate and efficient techniques and algorithms to incorporate into a NOAA QPE product
  4. Evaluate the impact of this NOAA QPE on Tar River basin streamflow simulations produced by advanced distributed hydrologic models
Additional Radars

By leveraging the previous successes of Project CI-FLOW, two complimentary proposals (e.g., NOAA HPCC and NSSL DRDF) have been funded to include both FAA TDWR radar data and Canadian radar data in the algorithms that estimate the precipitation (Figure 2). The data from these radars are not only taken closer to the ground (less chance for errors due to evaporation, etc.), but will also help fill in gaps between the NWS radars, thus improving overall QPE accuracy and coverage. Canadian radar data will provide additional sampling over the Great Lakes and Great Lake watershed headwaters in Canada. Several TDWRs in the Tar-Pamlico basin should lead to improvements in the precipitation estimation in the basin.

Enhanced Coverage

The QPE-SUMS coverage along coastal regions will be expanded from 230 km to 460 km, increasing the coverage over the ocean to provide earlier detection and better short-term prediction of precipitation. Collectively these efforts should improve the QPE used as input to the NWS and NCSU coupled model system and, therefore, improve the likelihood for improved flash flood forecasts.

Assessments/Case findings

NWS FY07 H-OSIP
NC Cool seas
NWS FY08 AHPS
NC Trop system
NSSL QVS
NWS Operational Verification

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Partners

NSSL Hydro
NWS OHD
NESDIS CSAR
NESDIS NCDC
OU/CIMMS/NOAA Sea Grant
NOAA EEO Office (Student )
NOAA Education Office
Hollings
EPP