Day Fire burn scar in southern California

The Day Fire burn scar in Southern California. Burn scars are very susceptible to flash floods and debris flows during rainstorms.

NSSL's SMART-R radar in the field

NSSL's SMART-R Doppler C-band radar collected data to help improve debris flow outlooks, watches and warnings.

NSSL wraps up HMT-West and USGS Debris Flow project collaborations

NSSL’s Shared Mobile Atmospheric and Teaching Radars (SMART-R) crews recently wrapped up two major projects in the western U.S. One NSSL SMART-R operated in Foresthill, CA as part of the NOAA Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT-West 2007). The other SMART-R crew was part of the NOAA/USGS Demonstration Flash-Flood and Debris Flow Early Warning System project and collected data near Pyramid Lake, CA during the winter of 2006-2007.

HMT-West 2007

HMT-West 2007 was a full-scale field operation in the California American River Basin to collect data that will improve precipitation estimates and flash flood forecasts and warnings. The new technologies, models, and scientific results from the research community will be applied to daily forecasting operations of the National Weather Service and its River Forecast Centers.

NSSL’s SMART-R Doppler C-band radar supplemented ground-based observations to determine if gap-filling radars had value in improving precipitation estimates. Forecasts, crew deployments and storm debriefings were discussed in daily conference calls among the National Weather Service (NWS), Earth Systems Research Laboratory (ESRL), and NSSL participants of HMT-West 2007.

The HMT project began in California in 2004 and will spread to other regions of the U.S. in the coming years to address hydrometeorology problems that are unique to those locations. The HMT will ultimately improve forecasts of floods, flash floods, and debris flows by determining the most useful tools for improving precipitation and runoff forecasting methods, saving lives and protecting property.

NOAA/USGS Demonstration Flash Flood and Debris Flow Early Warning System

NSSL's SMART-R's were used to collect data that will improve precipitation estimates, and flash flood and debris flow forecasts and warnings

The NOAA/USGS Demonstration Flash-Flood and Debris Flow Early Warning System project was focused on helping forecasters improve flash flood and debris flow warnings in areas damaged by wildfires. These areas, known as burn scars, are particularly susceptible to flash floods and debris flows during rainstorms. Rainfall that is normally absorbed by vegetation can run off almost instantly, causing creeks and drainage areas to flood much earlier and with higher magnitude than normal.

NSSL’s SMART-R crew collected data near Pyramid Lake, CA, the site of the Day Fire burn area. The Day Fire was one of the biggest (162,702 acres burned) and longest (September 4 – October 2, 2006) burning brush fires in California history. The objective of NSSL’s SMART-R deployment to southern California was to gather very high-resolution rainfall data sets to be used by USGS to refine their thresholds for debris flows. This capability will allow NWS forecasters together with the USGS to issue debris flow outlooks, watches and warnings to better serve society’s need for weather and water information.

For more information: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/research/hydromet/