Video length: 4:20 min. [cc]

What is dual polarization technology? Why should you care? On this episode of That Weather Show, we answer those questions by using parodies of our favorite commercials.

Hosted by Cat Taylor, 2009 Miss Oklahoma International / Univ. of Oklahoma Meteorology Student.

You can also watch this video on the NOAA Weather Partners Youtube channel .

Video length: 4:19 min. [cc]

That Weather Show is a video/podcast series brought to you by the NOAA Weather Partners in Norman, OK. We’re dedicating this first video episode to the brave scientists whose mission is to hunt tornadoes.

Hosted by Cat Taylor, 2009 Miss Oklahoma International / Univ. of Oklahoma Meteorology Student.

Michael Coniglio and Pamela Heinselman

Research scientists studying improvements in tornado forecasting and new radar systems at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla., Michael C. Coniglio and Pamela L. Heinselman, received presidential commendation when they were awarded the prestigious 2009 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) at a ceremony Jan. 13 at the White House.

The award, which was conferred by President Obama, is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers. An award ceremony is planned in Washington, D.C. in the fall.

“It is quite remarkable to have two researchers from NSSL win this prestigious award in one year,” said James Kimpel, National Severe Storms Laboratory Director. “It speaks well for the future of our lab to have these outstanding young people on board.”

Working in the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed, Coniglio is a key player in collaborations to evaluate experimental numerical weather models and bring that cutting edge research to forecasters, ultimately improving forecasts. This spring he helped set up the Operations Center and joined scientists in the field for VORTEX2, the largest and most ambitious field experiment in history to explore tornadoes.

Mike Coniglio in VORTEX2. Objects in the mirror may be larger than they appear.

Heinselman has led the National Weather Radar Testbed Phased Array Radar Demonstration project for several years. Her research focuses on the use of radar data to improve tornado warning lead times. She has served as a mentor to numerous undergraduate and graduate meteorology students, encouraging the next generation of scientists.

“In honoring these scientists early in their careers, we recognize both their achievements to date and the promise of their continued contributions to the nation,” said Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator. “NOAA takes great pride in these individuals and in its entire complement of stellar science.”

NSSL scientist David Stensrud and former NSSL researcher Erik Rasmussen are past recipients of the honor.

The National Severe Storms Laboratory serves the nation by working to improve the lead time and accuracy of severe weather warnings and forecasts in order to save lives and reduce property damage. NSSL scientists are committed to their mission to understand the causes of severe weather and explore new ways to use weather information to assist National Weather Service forecasters and federal, university, and private sector partners.

Pam Heinselman with student. "It's fun to watch them grow."

The Presidential Early Career Awards embody the high priority the Administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the nation’s goals and contribute to all sectors of the economy. Nine federal departments and agencies join together annually to nominate the most meritorious young scientists and engineers — researchers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for strengthening America’s leadership in science and technology and contributing to the awarding agencies’ missions.

The awards, established by President Clinton in February 1996, are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. Awardees are selected on the basis of two criteria: pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and a commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education or community outreach. Winning scientists and engineers receive up to a five-year research grant to further their study in support of critical government missions.

Harold Brooks, Research Meteorologist: A lot of the really interesting weather observations take place on a much finer scale than we can see with the routine observations.

Burgess: And even today, with the great increase in the power of computers and all of the important numerical modeling work, we still couldn’t do everything without having the verification of what’s going on, and to get that verification we have to go to the field.

Narrator: The Union City tornado in 1973 was a landmark event for weather research. Storm intercept teams observed and documented the entire lifecycle of the storm. When combined with data from Doppler radar, scientists gained new understanding of storm formation and the early signs of a tornado.

Union City tornado

Today, the National Severe Storms Lab is one of the leading organizations in the world at collecting meteorological observations in the field. The tools have advanced over the years, allowing researchers to take their instruments to the storm.

Brooks: One of the things that makes us unique is our ability to create instruments that collect high quality meteorological observations and deploy them remotely and to deploy them on mobile vehicles. NSSL pioneered doing mobile balloon soundings, pioneered what’s now called the mobile mesonet, which we can essentially instrument cars and collect data that are almost the same quality as stationary meteorological observations, from vehicles while they’re moving.

Narrator: Mobile ballooning research includes the recent TELEX project. This has led to increased understanding of the basic structure and evolution of electricity in thunderstorms.

Balloon launch

Dave Rust, Director, Field Observing Facilities Support: This basic knowledge advancement is what it takes to then begin to move things into models and test them with theory as well.

Narrator: Mobile capabilities were critical to the success of VORTEX, a large field project in the mid-1990s, focused on tornadoes.

Burgess: The first VORTEX was our first time with mobile radars, a lot more mobile instrumentation than ever before, mobile mesonet instead of stationary mesonet sites, to go out and study supercells in great detail.

Narrator: Newer mobile radars have been built in the past decade.

Louis Wicker, Research Meteorologist: So we can do a lot of things with mobile radar. We can bring them to the events, whether it’s a tornadic storm, whether it’s a hurricane at landfall, or whether it’s to a valley in California that’s been devastated by wildfire.

SMART-R in California

Narrator: For instance, SMART radars have been used recently for studying vast mountain areas in California. The devastation from wildfires leaves the area susceptible to debris flows – a direct result of heavy rainfall.

Jorgensen: Our main scientific interest is improving the ability of radar to make quantitative precipitation estimates, and so the Hydromet testbed project was really designed to improve services directed toward improved water estimates.

Narrator: With multiple vehicles in the field, coordination becomes extremely important. Advances in technology allow NSSL scientists to communicate and efficiently collect data.

Rust: Basically a coordinator vehicle is a shell that’s got research power; it’s got computer hookups; it’s got satellite interconnections it’s all there except the people and how they want to run their programs. So it’s versatility. You have one vehicle that does many tasks. We’ve been on hurricanes with them, severe storms, winter storms. They’re just a great tool.

View from the P-3

Narrator: NSSL scientists have also been heavily involved in the NOAA P-3 aircraft and collecting data from airborne platforms.

Brooks: Scientists have been involved in projects based out of NSSL and around the world because of their expertise in the use of the aircraft to collect data while flying. You can get to places a lot quicker, obviously. And you can do a lot more sampling of airborne observations.

Narrator: This spring, NSSL and several partners will undertake one of the most ambitious field projects ever: VORTEX2. Using multiple instruments to collect intensive data sets, scientists hope to answer basic questions about tornadoes: their origins, structure and evolution. Ultimately, this will increase the accuracy and timeliness of tornado forecasts and warnings.

Tornado damage

Wicker: The eventual goal of all this is that if we understand really how tornadoes form then hopefully will see some precursors of the cloud above the tornado where the radars can scan that will help us be better predictors of whether this storm is really going to produce a tornado or not and even more importantly whether it might produce a strong tornado versus not. A strong tornado has the potential to do a lot of damage and kill people much higher than even a weak tornado. So the ability to differentiate that might be very important.

Narrator: While field research is a critical job for NSSL scientists, it is also an opportunity to witness nature’s most fascinating spectacles face to face.

Burgess: Just seeing the storm is awe-inspiring. You just see all this display, and you can’t help but be impressed at the magnitude of what you see. Just the storm is enough, but then you add a tornado on top of that and it really just overwhelms your senses.

Mobile mesonet follows the storm

Narrator: With their respect for nature’s power and their creativity in developing tools to measure it, NSSL scientists have proven over and over the importance of field research.

Rust: I think that if we want to consider ourselves to be well-rounded scientifically we’ve got to have the observational component in there, whether it’s done with radars or balloons or other instrumentation and facilities, it doesn’t matter. We’ve just got to have it. The community as a whole needs it, and that’s so that we can advance our models, our theory, and test those theories.

Want to know more?

• VORTEX2
• SMART Radars
• Field Observing Equipment

Forecasters at the NOAA National Weather Service use NEXRAD radar as their primary tool for observing, monitoring, and forecasting the weather. The Radar Operations Center plays a crucial role in supporting the forecasters’ day-to-day operations.

David Andra: “In the short term, the support role of the Radar Operations Center helps us keep the radars running reliably. In the longer term, the development and modernization efforts that go on there help move the technology forward, which then allows us to do more.”

The NOAA National Severe Storms Lab researches and develops new tools and techniques to improve the radar. Once proven, these new tools must be placed in the hands of the forecaster.

Kurt Hondl: “The Radar Operations Center is responsible for taking that research technology and implementing it on the national network. Without them in the process, the research techniques that we develop here stay here. They don’t make it into the operational system. So the Radar Operations Center is an important part of that process to make sure that things we identify here are implemented in the operational network so all of the forecasters have benefit of it.”

Rich Vogt: “The NEXRAD program was a collaboration of three departments: the Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, and Department of Commerce. Working together, they could fund this network of radars in a more economical way than each of the agencies could on their own. They also formed this Radar Operations Center with tri-agency staffing and funding.”

In 1988, the Center was established in Norman, Oklahoma. The location was based on its proximity to the National Severe Storms Lab and the University of Oklahoma’s radar meteorology program.

The work done by the Radar Operations Center requires a wide variety of specialties, including meteorology, engineering, programming, radar technology, and many others. A twenty-four hour hotline provides assistance to radar field sites across the country, as well as some international locations. Technicians also travel to radar sites, providing assistance for maintenance and support activities.

Currently, the Radar Operations Center is collaborating on a major improvement to the radar network. Dual Polarization technology allows the radar to send and receive both horizontal and vertical pulses. This simultaneous signal will give more information about the size and shape of particles in the atmosphere.

Scott Saul: “So overall, what Dual Pol is going to do is it’s going to allow the forecaster to be more accurate and be more precise with their forecast. They’re going to know when it’s going to hail and where it’s going to hail. They’re going to know when winter precipitation is going to be light rain vs. heavy rain vs. snow.  The difference between six inches of snow and maybe half an inch of rain is just huge. That’ll allow the forecasters to say which of those scenarios is going to occur. Emergency managers then are able to put salt on the roads or not. So it’s really going to make the public a lot safer from that aspect, as well.”

Acting as the bridge between research and warnings, the mission of the Radar Operation Center is vital to our nation’s weather safety.

Rich Vogt: “The number one goal is to keep this fleet of radars running at a very high availability rate to provide reliable data and high quality data needed by the forecasters to put out warnings for severe weather and tornadoes.”

A world-wide network of 167 NEXRAD radars provides weather coverage for the entire United States and select international locations. The formal name of the radar is the WSR-88D – which stands for “Weather Surveillance Radar 1988″—for the year the design was established—and D, for “Doppler.”

The radar network is supported by the Radar Operations Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Their job is to keep the radars running smoothly and improve radar technology and capabilities. To maintain peak performance from all radars, the Radar Operations Center help desk offers 24-hour expert assistance to radar technicians around the world. Hardware and software upgrades apply new science and increase radar productivity. The support provided by the Radar Operations Center allows the radar network to deliver continuous, reliable weather coverage to its users.

The radar collects data by sending a radio signal out to a target. The signal bounces off the target—raindrops, in this case—and returns to the radar. The returned signal conveys three important properties of the target:

First, the time it takes for the signal to bounce off the target and return determines the distance from the target to the radar unit, and thus the location of the storm.

Second, the strength of the returned signal, also known as reflectivity, is proportional to the size and number of raindrops in the storm.

* Third, the frequency of the returned signal reveals whether the winds are moving toward or away from the radar, as well as their speeds. The combination of speed and direction is called “velocity.”

The data is converted into visual images and used by the National Weather Service forecasters, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the military to provide weather support to the nation. In addition, selected visual images are made available on the web and shown on TV weather broadcasts. Radar data is also used by private companies and studied by university researchers to improve forecasts.

Forecasters use the continuous, immediate weather information provided by radar to track storms and warn the public of dangerous weather. Radar allows forecasters to see all types of weather and provide advanced warning for thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, flash floods, snow, and freezing precipitation.

A recent study proved Doppler radar helped reduce tornado deaths and injuries by nearly half, nationwide. By using Doppler radar, forecasters have increased the average tornado warning lead time to nearly thirteen minutes.

Outside of the National Weather Service, other groups use Doppler radar to collect information about the weather and the atmosphere.

The Federal Aviation Administration benefits from NEXRAD by overlaying weather radar data on air traffic control displays. This capability helps traffic flow managers safely route air traffic and reduce weather delays for travelers.

The Department of Defense uses radar data to help plan missions for land, sea, and air operations. With accurate weather information, the military is able to enhance flight safety, maximize training opportunities, and protect military assets and personnel.

Community leaders use radar to protect their citizens from nature’s destructive forces. Local emergency managers monitor storms on radar and determine their exact locations. This information is used to notify their communities of approaching danger and better coordinate emergency response. Early winter weather forecasts give snow removal crews lead time to plan and react more effectively.

Water management agencies use radar to estimate not only how much rain will fall, but where it will fall. Radar is especially useful for collecting rainfall data where there are spatial gaps between rain gauges. Improved precipitation estimates help water managers monitor and control the water supply.

Homeland security managers can now integrate wind measurements with computer models to determine the exact path of chemical and biological agents released accidentally or as a result of a terrorist attack.

Radar can also detect the density, location, and direction of biological targets like birds, insects, bats and butterflies. For instance, ornithologists use the data to study the flight and migration patterns of birds.

Private meteorological companies can provide tailored products to their customers by adding specialized features and information to NEXRAD data.

Local and national television meteorologists use NEXRAD data to keep their viewers informed of real-time weather conditions. Even if a station has its own weather radar, they will often use regional NEXRAD data to provide a broader view of the weather approaching their area.

Today’s weather radar technology and capabilities are a direct result of decades of research and development. What began as a strategic weapon in World War II has evolved into a world-class weather detection system. Continuous improvements to the radar’s hardware and software have been made since 1988. Recently, new equipment upgrades will allow better detail in the images forecasters see. The next step is dual polarization, an additional capability that allows NEXRAD radar to send and receive both horizontal and vertical pulses. This new information will give meteorologists a better idea of the structure and type of precipitation – resulting in more accurate forecasts. The research done today will continue to give us benefits for years to come.

With its eye to the sky, the NEXRAD radar provides critical information used by a variety of people for many different purposes. It is not only a vital tool for forecasting and researching weather — but for many everyday activities that impact us all.

Jeff Kimpel, Director, NSSL: We exist to support the National Weather Service operations in issuing severe and hazardous weather forecasts. So that gets us into theory, gets us into observational tools, gets us into modeling tools that help the Weather Service do a better job.

Improving forecasts has been NSSL’s mission since 1964. Today’s forecast office reflects more than four decades of research and development.

Jeff Kimpel: The National Severe Storms Laboratory does research in three areas: The first is weather radar. The second is using information from the weather radar in hydrologic models, runoff models, flash flood type things. And the third one is using information from the radar and other things in numerical weather prediction to make forecasts better.

From the original WSR-57 research project to the development of NEXRAD to now mobile SMART Radars and phased array radar, NSSL continues to push the weather research community to the edge of technology. On the horizon is dual polarization, an additional capability that allows NEXRAD radar to send and receive both horizontal and vertical pulses. This new information will give meteorologists a better idea of the structure and type of precipitation, resulting in more accurate forecasts. Looking to the future, NSSL researchers are working on the next generation of weather radar.

Jeff Kimpel: So it’s time now we start thinking about what’s after NEXRAD. What we believe is the best candidate now is electronically steered radar – phased array radar – that is much better, much quicker than rotating systems like the NEXRAD.

Phased array radar’s unique flat antenna makes it capable of monitoring weather and aircraft simultaneously, with the promise of significant cost savings.

In winter and summer, precipitation presents unique forecasting issues. NSSL’s work in radar has led to new water forecasting and management applications.

Jeff Kimpel: Believe it or not, the radar is going to give us very accurate estimates of rainfall. Think of it as having a rain gauge every kilometer or two. It’s going to change the way we do hydrology.

The Lab’s third major focus, numerical weather prediction, improves the way forecasters use weather models, especially in severe weather applications. Much of this work is done in the Hazardous Weather Testbed through extensive collaboration with many individuals and organizations, including the Storm Prediction Center and the Norman office of the National Weather Service.

Jeff Kimpel: If you think about it, this is the only testbed in the country that focuses on improving severe storm watches and warnings in an operational environment. And of equal importance, it gives the researchers an idea of what the operational problems are that helps them focus their research more sharply on things that matter.

From early storm chasing, to VORTEX in the mid-1990s, to the upcoming VORTEX II in 2009, as well as ongoing lightning research, NSSL scientists are in the field, measuring the atmosphere and improving our understanding of nature’s most violent weather. The laboratory’s success can be measured in the number of lives saved. Its legacy through forty years remains the national network of NEXRAD radars.

Jeff Kimpel: We were deeply involved in testing that system, developing that system, proving it had value to severe weather warnings and forecasts.

NSSL’s greatest assets have always been a clear mission and the people who carry it out.

Jeff Kimpel: I think it’s important to have a cadre of people who are keeping up the research, doing the state-of-the art research that’s necessary to improve the warnings and forecasts, having them all in one place so they can cooperate and work together is why we should have a National Severe Storms Laboratory.

Within every NOAA National Weather forecaster, and behind every critical decision-making process, lies the preparation and education provided by the Warning Decision Training Branch. With an expert staff of meteorologists, research associates, graphic designers, and IT specialists, this NOAA Weather Partner’s mission is to improve warning performance within NOAA’s National Weather Service.

Ed Mahoney, Chief, WDTB: We do this by infusing three things into the training operation, and that’s science, there’s technology, and then there’s a critical human factors element, that we also address.

Forecasters rely on NEXRAD radar when warning the public of hazardous weather conditions. The training they receive emphasizes accuracy, timeliness, and composure in their forecasting performance.

Kenneth James, Meteorologist, NWS: This training is always changing, because the science is always changing, so I think, in a very subtle way, it exposes everyone to the concept of change. It also allows us to improve as scientists, and to, I think, communicate more effectively, because a lot of us will be using the same knowledge.

The Warning Decision Training Branch provides training through multiple delivery systems. While traditional, in-residence training is still utilized, about ninety percent of training is now done via distance learning, over the Internet. Forecasters also train on the Weather Events Simulator, which displays weather scenarios in real time.

Ed Mahoney: One of the things in training that’s important to do is to not just tell, but also to allow them to apply what they’ve learned. The application is the critical element in learning how to use these new tools. The Weather Event Simulator is that tool. It allows the forecaster to go through an operationally representative environment, allows them to make decisions. As you go through the practice, using the Simulator, over and over again, when the real event occurs, they’re not going to have a panic moment, they’re going to be well-experienced and prepared for that moment.

Each year the Warning Decision Training Branch trains over two thousand students throughout NOAA’s National Weather Service. Recently, an advanced course on winter weather contributed to better forecasts.

Brad Grant, Team Leader, WDTB: We saw some pretty dramatic increases in performance of warning lead times for winter storm warnings, and also, we saw, in terms of accuracy, the actual probability of detection up around ninety-three percent, which was a pretty big increase from what they’ve seen in past years, and part of this could be attributed to some of the training that was accomplished by all of the forecasters.

From the classroom to forecast operations, the Warning Decision Training Branch plays a crucial role in NOAA’s mission to protect life and property.

Kenneth James: The training, the theory, it all comes together, and the more training, the more practice, I think, the more effective one becomes in a real time environment.

Ed Mahoney: The key impact of our training is to prepare those decision makers to make effective and correct decisions, to provide the maximum warning performance support to the public. That’s our ultimate goal. Performance improvement, that’s our mission.