Contact: Rob Cifelli
|
HMT Completes Work Plan on Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE)
As stated in the document, the mission of HMT's QPE activities is:
Working with partners across NOAA, establish a center of excellence to evaluate current QPE capabilities, test and implement new methodologies, and develop new techniques for determining the best possible QPE in complex terrain regions. Use the "lessons learned" to provide guidance on monitoring network design, data assimilation and modeling that can be applied CONUS to support NOAA's National Water Center (NWC) and National Weather Service (NWS) operations.
The NWC is intended to develop and provide new-generation and interoperable water information and services in support of the NWS, and other NOAA and federal agencies. To support the NWC mission, the best possible QPE is needed to serve as input forcing for hydrologic models to produce accurate and timely stream flow forecasts. This requirement serves as the primary focus for the HMT QPE activities described in the work plan. Although HMT activities have traditionally been concentrated in orographic regions, lessons learned from HMT QPE activities will be integrated into a national QPE system that can be applied nation-wide.
The QPE plan was developed with input from partners across NOAA, including the Earth System Research Laboratory, National Sever Storm Laboratory, National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service Center for Satellite Applications and Research, Office of Hydrologic Development, Monterey NWS Weather Forecast Office, Western Region Headquarters for the NWS, and the Climate Diagnostics Center as well as the academic community (Colorado State University).