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The success of the Hazardous Weather Testbed in Norman has inspired numerous groups to adopt the same collaborative spirit and innovative approach

NOAA's Hazardous Weather Testbed

The Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) in Norman rose up from a grassroots level after the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) moved its operations to the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) facility in 1997. The mutual interests of forecasters from the SPC, researchers from NSSL, and collocated joint research partners from the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) inspired the formation of the HWT. The testbed’s activities have been varied, ranging from daily map discussions involving imminent severe weather to loosely-related research projects involving 2-3 collaborators to periods of intensive collaboration.

Researchers focus their attention on the computer image during one of the Spring Experiments

The cornerstone of the testbed is the SPC/NSSL Spring Program, a series of annual experiments that attracts 50-60 researchers and forecasters to Norman each year. Each Spring Experiment provides forecasters with a first-hand look at the latest research concepts and products, while immersing research scientists in the challenges, needs, and constraints of front-line forecasters. The goal of this program is to give forecasters direct access to the latest research developments while imparting scientists with the knowledge to formulate research strategies that will have practical benefits. The end result is not only better severeweather forecasts, but important contributions to the scientific literature as well.

As the Norman meteorological community consolidates its diverse workforce in a common building, numerous groups are adopting the collaborative spirit and innovative approach of the HWT. At the same time, the HWT is expanding to embrace these groups and provide the framework for development and implementation of new technologies in different areas, particularly those focusing on shorter-time - scale forecasting challenges. For example, NSSL’s Severe Weather Warning Applications and Technology Transfer (SWAT) team and the NWS Norman Weather Forecast Office (WFO) are stepping into important contributing roles within the HWT.

We anticipate that the proof of concept established through the SPC/NSSL Spring Program and the early years of the HWT will play an important role in bringing together the diverse elements of the Norman meteorological community and likeminded meteorologists from across the country. In fact, Congress recently provided seed funding to help foster a collaboration between the HWT, the University of Alabama at Huntsville, and NASA’s Short-term Prediction Research and Transition center (SPoRT), a joint center staffed by NASA research meteorologists also located in Huntsville, and the Huntsville WFO. This new partnership capitalizes on the uncommon passion in both of these communities for operationally relevant research and the rapid infusion of research results into operations. These efforts provide unique and valuable contributions to our understanding and prediction of hazardous convective weather events, leading to improved severe-thunderstorm and tornado watches and warnings for the public.

Observed base reflectivity simulated reflectivity from the WRF model at 2 km grid spacing simulated reflectivity from the WRF model at 4 km grid spacing

Images like these provided the basis for evaluation of model predictions by researchers and forecasters during the 2005 Spring Experiment. The left panel shows observed base reflectivity while the other two show corresponding simulated reflectivity forecasts from the WRF model at 2 km (middle) and 4 km (right) grid spacing.