CIRA Update on the GOES-R Satellite Proving Ground

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CIRA Update on the GOES-R Satellite Proving Ground

• Steve Miller, Renate Brummer, Hiro Gosden, Ed
  Szoke - CIRA
• Mark DeMaria, Deb Molenar, Don Hillger, Dan
  Lindsey NOAA/NESDIS
• Boulder, CO
• 15 May 2009

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NOAA/CIRA Project Staffing

• Project Management
• Mark DeMaria and Renate Brummer
• Demonstration Product Developers
• Don Hillger, Dan Lindsey, John Knaff, Steve
  Miller, and Stan Kidder
• AWIPS Configuration and Communication
• Deb Molenar and Hiro Gosden
• NWS Forecaster Interface
• Ed Szoke and Ken Labas (volunteering)
• Various Technical/Administrative Support
• Robert DeMaria, Bernie Connell, Dan Bikos, Kathy
  Fryer, and Kevin Micke

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Outline

• Year 1 Progress Review
• Website Contributions
• Training Materials
• Selected Examples from CIRA
• Emerging Capabilities
• Expanded Possibilities
• Summary

Simulated True Color image of Southern California
wildfires, previous ABI capabilities via MODIS.
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Proving Ground Interactions
Green Bay, WI WFO
Sullivan, WI WFO
Cooperative Institute for Meteorological
Satellite Studies Madison, Wisconsin
Sterling, VA WFO
Cheyenne, WY WFO
Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology
Center New York, NY
Cooperative Institute for Research in the
Atmosphere Fort Collins, Colorado
La Crosse, WI WFO
NWS HeadquartersCooperative Institute for
Satellite Climate Studies Center for Satellite
Applications and Research Office of Satellite
Data Processing and DistributionGOES-R Program
Office University of Maryland Baltimore
County Maryland
Boulder, CO WFO
Eureka, CA WFO
Salt Lake City, UT WFO
Grand Junction, CO WFO
Monterey, CA WFO
Oxnard, CA WFO
EPA Research Triangle Park, NC
NWS Central Region Kansas City, MO
Melbourne, FL WFO NASA Kennedy Space Center
NWS Alaska Region Anchorage, Alaska
NWS Pacific Region Honolulu, Hawaii
NCEP Tropical Prediction Center Joint Hurricane
Testbed Miami, Florida (Planned for FY2010)
NCEP Storm Prediction Center Norman, OK
WFO National Severe Storms Laboratory University
of Oklahoma Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale
Meteorological Studies Norman, Oklahoma Hazardous
Weather Testbed- Experimental Forecast and
Warning Programs
Huntsville, AL WFO University of Alabama
Huntsville NASA Short-term Prediction Research
and Transition Center Huntsville, AL
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Year 1 Proposed Work

• Local Interactions Establish a close working
  relationship with the NWS offices in close
  proximity to CIRA, including Cheyenne Wyoming and
  Boulder, CO.
• Distributed Interactions Include the NCEP
  Tropical Prediction Center initially, and expand
  to other centers such as the Ocean Prediction
  Center, Hydrometeorological Prediction Center and
  Aviation Weather Center. The distributed concept
  will also include additional NWS offices.
• Initial Tasks
• Coordination with CIMSS to train CIRA staff on
  methods for local creation of AWIPS products.
• Modification of the CIRA AWIPS system for
  experimental product creation.
• Coordination with NWS regional headquarters on
  the distribution system for CIRA experimental
  AWIPS products.
• Site visits to Boulder and Cheyenne WFOs to
  determine the initial set of experimental
  products for Proving Ground tests
• Initial coordination with NCEP/TPC on Proving
  Ground participation.
• Coordination with CIMSS and SPoRT on
  implementation of the Proving Ground.

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Product Description Template

• A . Required elements
• Product name
• Product I/O
• Developers/distributers
• Who receives and how
• Product size
• Brief product description
• Purpose of the product
• How related to GOES-R
• Input, resolution, latency
• Product examples and interpretation
• Advantages and limitations
• B. Optional elements
• Links to more detailed information
• Additional examples

• Completed
• GeoColor
• GOES Low Cloud / Fog
• GOES Blowing Dust
• Under Construction
• Orographic Rain Index (ORI)
• Volcanic Ash
• Snow / Cloud Discrimination
• Natural Color imagery

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Online Materials
(!) The Proving Ground is not a web interface.
The information provided online is intended to
serve only as a menu and high-level training
for operational users and the general public.
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Product Display Status

• Products installed at WFO BOU and CYS AWIPS
• GeoColor (provides template for all
  NexSat-related applications)
• Products running real-time at CIRA
• GeoColor (on CIRA AWIPS system)
• Orographic Precipitation TPW (on CIRA AWIPS
  system)
• GOES Blowing Dust (on CIRA AWIPS system)
• GOES Fog / Stratus (RAMSDIS and on-line)
• GOES Volcanic Ash Enhancement (PCI) product for
  Redoubt volcano in Alaska (RAMSDIS and on-line)
• Next products to implement and transition
• Snow - Cloud Discrimination (GOES and MODIS)
• Volcanic Ash (MODIS)
• Blowing Dust Enhancement (MODIS)

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Product Migration Into AWIPS

• MOU for product dissemination via Regional
  Headquarters (RH) server has to be signed by the
  RH
• RH contact person will begin with sending data to
  WFO(s).
• Conducted technical site visits to WFOs (BOU and
  CYS) to discuss/implement AWIPS menu updates.
• Upgrade of CIRA AWIPS to latest AWIPS OB
  (currently OB9)
• Request Tracker inquiry tracking system is
  working.

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24 to 8-bit Reduction

• Many NexSat products are 24-bit depth, but AWIPS
  can display only 8-bit 0,255 depth imagery.
• Requires a reduction of NexSat imagery depth,
  optimal specification of a 256-element color
  palette.
• Photoshop used to define optimal representative
  palette
• Translate each R/G/B pixel to closest palette
  index

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Feeling Around in AWIPS
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(Corrected)
(AWIPS Display)
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(Corrected
(AWIPS Display)
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Getting It Right
Original
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The Mountain West
Cheyenne, WY WFO
Cooperative Institute for Research in the
Atmosphere Fort Collins, Colorado
Boulder, CO WFO
Salt Lake City, UT WFO
Grand Junction, CO WFO
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Front Range Low Cloud Fog
Denver
(SMEs Steve Miller, Don Hillger)
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Tracking Snow Cover / Melt
? Here, 2 passes per day may provide sufficient
temporal resolution to provide useful information.
(SMEs Steve Miller, Don Hillger)
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Painted Desert Dust Source
(SMEs Steve Miller, Don Hillger)
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Same Source, Different Days
? The Painted Desert was a prolific dust source
during Spring 2009. Impacts to visibility, air
quality. Dust deposition on snow can impact
melt/runoff timing and magnitude (RFC relevance).
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Salt Lake City WFO
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Alaska Region
NWS Alaska Region Anchorage, Alaska
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Principal Component Image (PCI) Analysis
PCI analysis of initial 12-13 July 2008 Okmok
eruption, extracting the dominant image
combinations from the available channel data.
(SME Don Hillger)
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Okmok Eruption PCI Analysis
Visible Imagery
PCI Enhancement
Several PCIs are combined in this R/G/B image to
enhance the volcanic ash cloud. Clear areas in
the image are deep purple, high water clouds are
mainly green, lower-level water clouds are
yellow, and ash-dominated clouds are orange. ?
Relevant to aviation safety. Working with Garry
Huffords team to implement technique in Terascan
? AWIPS.
(SME Don Hillger)
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Okmok Eruption Blue-Absorption
July 12, 2008 2145 Z
? The Proving Ground allows users to assess the
merits of various algorithms in an operational
setting, while previous future capabilities.
(SME Steve Miller)
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Mt Redoubt PCI Analysis
PCI analysis of 23-24 March Mt. Redoubt eruption,
extracting the dominant image combinations from
the available channel data (SME Don Hillger)
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Central U.S.
NWS Central Region Kansas City, MO
NCEP Storm Prediction Center Norman, OK
WFO National Severe Storms Laboratory University
of Oklahoma Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale
Meteorological Studies Norman, Oklahoma Hazardous
Weather Testbed- Experimental Forecast and
Warning Programs
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Statistical Hail Prediction
GOES-12 10.7 micron image from 12 May 2009 at
2300 UTC (left), and probability of severe hail
within a 0.5x0.5 degree lat/lon box in the next
hour (right). SPC Hail Reports for 2300-0000 UTC
shown as circles. ? Maps will be generated for
0-1, 1-2, , 5-6 hr forecasts, making the tool
useful for convective outlooks, mesoscale
discussions, and watches. To be demonstrated at
SPC. (SME Dan Lindsey)
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Cloud/Aerosol Interactions

• Enhanced CCN (dust and smoke) alter cloud
  microphysics and (possibly) the evolution of
  convection in ways that are not well understood
  (SMEs Dan Lindsey, Steve Miller).

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Tropics
NWS Pacific Region Honolulu, Hawaii
NCEP Tropical Prediction Center Joint Hurricane
Testbed Miami, Florida (Planned for FY2010)
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Interactions with NHC

• Short planning meeting was held at the IHC in
  Tampa with M. DeMaria, J. Knaff, J.-G. Jiing
  (NHC TSB chief), J. Beven (NHC satellite focal
  point).
• They have a strong interest in general
  participation.
• Specific interest in MSG and lightning products.
• Best method for transfer is
• Put lightning products on NESDIS server for NHC
  access
• Generate MSG products locally at NHC
• T. Renkevens provided NESDIS experimental product
  server for transfer to NHC.
• Preliminary tests will be completed well in
  advance of 2010 season implementation.

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Hurricane IKE 3 September 2008 12
UTC through 4 September 2008 00 UTC Proxy for
10 of 16 ABI Channels (SMEs John Knaff, Don
Hillger)
27 April 2009
Mike Kalb
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Lighting Density Higher Just Before TC Rapid
Intensification
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GOES Lightning Mapper Array
LIS OTD

• World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN)
  near-global lightning data.
• Low detection rate
• Use reprocessed U. Wash algorithm
• Compiled over 2005-2007
• Calibrated by matching annual WWLLN lightning
  density information to
• TRMM (Lightning Imaging Sensor)
• OV-1 (Optical Transient Detector)
• Adjustment factors
• 2005 38
• 2006 24
• 2007 23

WWLLN (Adjusted)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
(SME Mark DeMaria)
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RGB Air Mass Product with Lightning
(SMEs John Knaff, Mark DeMaria)
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West Coast
Eureka, CA WFO
Monterey, CA WFO
Oxnard, CA WFO
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Land-Falling Atmospheric Rivers

• Significant wintertime concern for Pacific
  coastal ranges in terms of flooding and debris
  flows (e.g., American River basin, burn scar
  areas).

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TPW Upslope Flow
Atmospheric river quadrant Strongest IWV fluxes
(i.e., U1km x IWV) yield heaviest rains
Rain gt10 mm/h gt12.5 m/s gt2 cm ? gt 250 kg/m-s
Rain gt5 mm/h gt6 m/s gt1.5 cm ? gt 90 kg/m-s
Any rain gt0 m/s gt1 cm ? gt 10 kg/m-s
Data from Paul Neimen (NOAA/ESRL)
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An Orographic Rain Index (ORI)

• Uses the following data
• Multi-sensor blended Total Precipitable Water
  (TPW) product (Stan Kidders satellite
  application)
• GFS forecast fields (850 mb steering wind
  vectors)
• 30-second resolution terrain database
• Procedure
• For a given forecast time, obtain the most recent
  TPW analysis
• Using GFS data, trace back from each land pixel
  to the TPW analysis time to determine the value
  of land-falling TPW at the forecast time.
• Compute the local gradient of the terrain, and
  determine the normal component of the GFS wind
  vector to this gradient (via the dot product)
• Multiply the land-falling TPW by the quantity
  derived above
• Calibrate the result using Paul Neimans surface
  data (previous slide)
• Create a graphic with colors corresponding to
  potential rain enhancement
• Deliver graphics to WFO on AWIPS, via the
  Satellite Proving Ground project

(SMEs Stan Kidder, Steve Miller)
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NW Flow
Max Wind 30 m/s MAX TPW 40 mm
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W Flow
Max Wind 30 m/s MAX TPW 40 mm
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SW Flow
Max Wind 30 m/s MAX TPW 40 mm
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NW Flow (CA Regional)
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W Flow (CA Regional)
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SW Flow (CA Regional)
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NW Flow (MRY County)
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W Flow (MRY County)
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SW Flow (MRY County)
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Operational Usage of ORI
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Nighttime Low-Light Capabilities for a Satellite
Proving Ground
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Low-Light Visible
CIRA
Both reflection and emission based applications
can be exploited using the NPOESS-VIIRS Day/Night
Band.
(SME Steve Miller)
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Ship Tracks Revealed by Moonlight
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Active Fires at Night
CIRA
10/22/2007 2055 UTC (Aqua)
10/22/2007 0423 UTC (F-16)
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Nocturnal Lightning Detection
2/11/2009 0100 UTC
Dallas
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Low Cloud Detection at Night Complementary
Techniques
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Nighttime Visible over the Aleutian Low and
Alaskan Interior
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Aurora Borealis
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Year 2 Proposed Work

• Interactions with Forecast Offices and Centers
• Continue interaction with WFO BOU and CYS, add
  new WFOs (Monterey, Eureka, Grand Junction,
  etc..) begin product Training (rely on VISIT
  experience), collect forecaster feedback.
• Continue interaction with SPC, start working with
  NHC
• Proving Ground Website Development
• Work with CIMSS on homepage, keep product
  descriptions on local servers, use common
  templates for product descriptions.
• AWIPS Development
• Continue migration of products to in-house and
  WFO AWIPS systems, BOU will serve as our product
  test site.
• Coordination with additional regional
  headquarters (WRH, PRH, ARH)
• Stay up-to-date with the development of AWIPS II
• Additional Tasks
• Begin to leverage CloudSat data
• Develop new proving ground products as requested
  by WFOs

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Summary

• Protocol for insertion of products into AWIPS has
  been developed, demonstrated, and implemented
  operationally.

• New connections with WFOs continue, applications
  span a wide range of regionally-dependent
  operational needs.

• Remote connections, coordination with HQs, and
  customization of sectors remain as challenges ?
  more to learn and adopt from CIMSS and SPoRT
  partners.

• Opportunities abound for extension of
  applications in a Satellite Proving Ground
  concept.

Fin
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Ash Enhancement
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About the GOES-R Proving Ground

• Who Developers at NOAA Cooperative Institutes
  (CIMSS, CIRA) and NASA (SPoRT) working with NOAA
  operational users (NWS, NHC, SPC), NASA Johnson
  Space Center, and other collaborators (e.g., U.
  Alaska-Fairbanks, U. Oklahoma).

• What A project to engage the NWS forecast and
  warning community in pre-operational
  demonstrations of future NOAA GOES-R sensor
  (e.g., ABI, GLM) capabilities.

• Where Application development occurs at
  participant facilities, products are distributed
  nationally to NWS WFOs, interactions occur via
  e-mail/phone/site-visits.

• When The project was initiated in 2008, with
  some participants (CIMSS, SPoRT) having
  already-established activities. The Proving
  Ground is planned to continue through the launch
  of GOES-R in 2015 and potentially beyond.

• Why As part of risk reduction activities for the
  next generation GOES-R series, there is a need to
  ensure Day 1 user readiness for new
  sensor/system capabilities.

• How Use current operational/research-grade
  satellite observing systems and model simulations
  as proxies to GOES-R, demonstrated within the
  operating paradigm of NWS forecasters the
  Advanced Weather Information Processing System
  (AWIPS).

Providing a sustained interaction between the
developers and end users for the purposes of i)
training, ii) product evaluation, and iii)
development based on user feedback.
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Contacts

• Boulder (BOU) Weather Forecast Office
• POCs Larry Mooney (MIC) and Eric Thaler (SOO)
• Proving Ground Liaison Ed Szoke

• Cheyenne Weather Forecast Office
• POCs Melissa Goering (SOO), John Eise (MIC), Ray
  Gomez (ITO)
• Proving Ground Liaisons Cindy Combs, Dan Bikos,
  Jeff Braun

• Monterey Weather Forecast Office
• POC Dave Reynolds (MIC)
• Proving Ground Liaisons Arunas Kuciauskas, Steve
  Miller
• Note Expressed particular interest in low
  cloud/fog applications

• Miami Weather Forecast Office
• POC Pablo Santos (SOO)
• Proving Ground Liaison Mark DeMaria
• Note May include MSG applications over the
  Atlantic

• National Hurricane Center
• POC Bill Read (Director)
• Proving Ground Liaison Mark DeMaria
• Note Possible demonstrations in N-AWIPS

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The Technical Interface Integrating NexSat
Imagery Products within AWIPS

1. Color-mapping of imagery to accommodate display
   limitations within AWIPS.
2. Imagery registration (projection, resolution,
   rotation, etc.) must match identically with
   pre-defined AWIPS regions.
3. Packaged in HDF with appropriate header
   information.
4. Automated processing, transfer, conversion, and
   staging.

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The Initial Operational User Contacts

• Boulder, CO Weather Forecast Office
• POCs Larry Mooney (MIC) and Eric Thaler (SOO)
• Applications related to aviation (convection,
  fog, etc.)
• Cheyenne, WY Weather Forecast Office
• POCs Melissa Goering (SOO), John Eise (MIC), Ray
  Gomez (ITO)
• Applications related to severe weather, fog, high
  wind events, fires

• Monterey, CA Weather Forecast Office
• POC Dave Reynolds (MIC)
• Applications related to fog, fires, and coastal
  rain/flooding
• Eureka, CA Weather Forecast Office
• POC Mel Nordquist (MIC)
• Applications related to fog, fires, and coastal
  rain/flooding

• Miami, FL Weather Forecast Office
• POC Pablo Santos (SOO)
• Applications related to convection, lightning,
  and tropical storms
• National Hurricane Center
• POC Bill Read (Director)
• Applications related to tropical storm track and
  intensity

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Plans and Conclusion

• Demonstrate initial set of ABI prototype products
• Selecting those most applicable to WFO-stated
  needs
• Include GOES-R NPOESS blended applications
  (e.g., NexSat)
• Training materials for all demonstration products

• Foster interactions with WFOs
• Establish protocols for product ingest usage
• Include additional offices after proof-of-concept
• Conduct site visits, participate in NWS workshops

• The Research?Operations?Research (R2O2R) cycle
• Modify initial applications based on user
  feedback
• Introduce new applications based on specific user
  needs

The multi-institute/agency GOES-R Proving Ground
team provides users a physical link to algorithm
developers, and in turn, provides developers an
opportunity to transition more relevant and
robust satellite applications to the user
community.
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Plans for FY09 and Beyond

• Refine applications based on user feedback.

• Introduce additional applications from other
  proxy data (e.g., IASI), case studies, training.

• After establishing a working concept of
  operations with local offices, expand to remote
  WFOs.

• Develop distributed interactions
• E.g., NCEP, TPC, HPC, SPC, OPC
• River Forecast Centers

• Conduct workshops for participants.

• Prepare for migration to AWIPS-II.