Jian Zhang
NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory
20 October 2009, 3:30 PM
National Weather Center, Room 1313
120 David L. Boren Blvd.
University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK
Directions to the NWC (.pdf, 60 kb)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory’s (NSSL) next-generation Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE), or “Q2”, system was developed from a joint initiative between the NSSL, Salt River Project (SRP) and the Federal Aviation Administration/Aviation Weather Research Program. Further development has continued with additional support from the National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Hydrological Development and the NWS Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services. The main objective of the Q2 system is to develop a hydrometeorological platform for assimilating different observational networks and for creating high spatial (1-km) and temporal (5 minute) resolution multi-sensor QPEs for flood monitoring/prediction and water resource management. Additionally, the platform facilitates systematic evaluations and rapid research-to-operations transfer for hydrometeorological applications.
Multiple data sources are used in four major modules that comprise the current Q2 system: 1) single radar processing; 2) 3-D and 2-D radar mosaic; 3) QPE; and 4) evaluation. The system has been generating 3-D reflectivity mosaic grids (31 vertical levels) and a suite of severe weather and QPE products for Conterminous United States since 2006. The experimental products are provided to end users within government agencies, universities, and the private sector. The Q2 products and techniques have been utilized in various meteorological, aviation, and hydrological applications. Several NWS River Forecast Centers are currently using the Q2 products in operations and performing real-time field evaluations. The talk will introduce various scientific components in the Q2 system, initial evaluation results, and future plans.
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