NOAA and NWS Drought ActivitiesInitiatives Mike Brewer NWS

NOAA and NWS Drought Activities/Initiatives Mike Brewer NWS Climate Services Division Drought Monitor Forum October 2007

Outline • • Upcoming RDS Activities Products Upcoming Product Improvements Observing System Improvements – CRN – HCN-M – Paperless – COOP 21 – Fischer & Porter Upgrade

Regional Decision Support • Upcoming activities related to NIDIS – Coping with Drought: • RISA enhancement addressed at helping stakeholders mitigate drought losses with NOAA products and services • Prototype product development • Pres Bud FY 07 – Transitioning research to services/operations • TRACS support in Pres Bud FY 07

Products

Products HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1001 AM CDT TUE OCT 2 2007. . . DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH. . . LONG TERM EFFECTS FROM THE LACK OF RAINFALL HAS TAKEN A TOLL ON THE MIDSOUTH ESPECIALLY ACROSS AREAS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE LATEST U. S. DROUGHT MONITOR WHICH WAS ISSUED THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27 TH DOES NOT HAVE ANY AREAS ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH IN AN EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT OR D 4 WHICH IS A ….

Upcoming Product Improvements

Observing System Improvements • Climate Reference Network – Deployment of CRN at 107 stations by end of FY 08 – Addition of Soil moisture/soil temperature sensors begins FY 08 (prototype) • At all lower 48 CRN • Will nearly double the Federal commitment to Soil sensor deployment (SCAN) by FY 12 • Part of USGEO NIDIS near-term opportunity

USCRN Network September 30, 2008 (115 operational stations at 107 locations) CRN’s FY 2007 deployed (20) CRN’s FY 2008 deploys (15) CRN’s ≤FY 2006 deploys (80) As of 5 Sep 07

Observing System Improvements • Historical Climatology Network Modernization – Automation of temperature and precipitation – Expansion capability for snowfall and depth, soil moisture, etc.

Observing System Improvements: HCN Stations selected by NCDC with NWS input • 1, 000 HCN stations • Expansion capability to collect other measurements (e. g. , NIDIS soil moisture, snowfall & snow depth, etc. ) Area No. of Stations CONUS 1000 Alaska ~45* Pacific Region and Caribbean ~15* * To be determined

Observing System Improvements: HCN-M system architecture leverages CRN in these aspects: • Equipment standards • • Instrumentation Software and algorithms Siting standards Metadata standards Calibration standards Documents and plan Lessons learned

Observing System Improvements: HCN • Current Status: • • • Funding to begin in NWS budget Funding to complete at maintain requested Level 1 requirements complete Functional requirements in development Initial site surveys begin this calendar year Testing instrument configurations • Plan for completion by FY 13 – FY 14

Observing System Improvements: Paperless Initiative Timely/accurate COOP data collection: – Integrity of Climate Record – NWS operations – NIDIS – HCN-M Example of potential improvements that can be made in NWS products related to NIDIS based upon more timely receipt of COOP data.

Observing System Improvements: Paperless Initiative • Based on regionally developed projects – SR: IVROCS – CR: wx. CODER • Current systems receive data from ~3, 000 observers per day • Enhancements meet national needs – Shared database – Redundant backup (RCCs) – Secure communications • Support – NCDC – WR RCC – NWSH & SR, CR

Observing System Improvements: Paperless Initiative Benefits • Enhanced front-end data quality control – Format, keying, etc errors – Errors in magnitude and consistency – Supports daily QC feedback • Thousands more daily obs • Integrated transparent database • Operational backup • Supports future observing system requirements Wxcoder QC screen • Reduced NCDC & NWS costs

Observing System Improvements: Paperless Initiative Timeline • Wxcoder – Field test of wx. CODER III system: February 2007 – Operational late Fall 2007 – Database synchronization with IVROCS summer 2007 • IVROCS (subject to change) – HW & SW updates completed summer 2007 – CR operating as backup summer 2007 • Policy: modifications expected imminently • Training: available prior to operations for field and observer

Observing System Improvements: COOP 21 Improving the Quality of the Nation’s Climate Record: Toward a 21 st Century Cooperative Network • Considered for many years • Increasing demand for high quality NOAA climate data • Deficiencies highly visible • Limited resources – focus on quality • Mesonets growing • In parallel with other COOP improvement efforts • Arlie House, VA Action Item (Nov. 2005)

Observing System Improvements: COOP 21 • Key Players – Regional COOP Program Managers – WFOs – Climate Services Program Managers – Climate service partners – Observers – NWS Headquarters

Observing System Improvements: COOP 21 Program Phases FY Qtr. Phase 1: Identification of Stations Requiring Action Phase 2: Development of Action Plans, Assessment of Results - Final Decision on Status Phase 3: Closure or Reclassifications 2007 1 2 3 2008 4 1 2 3 2009 4 1 2

Observing System Improvements: Fischer & Porter Upgrade • Replace punch-paper tape mechanism with electronic recording mechanism at 2, 500 F&P Hourly Precipitation Data sites • Secure mechanism for data transmission • RFI already posted and have 15 responses some look promising • Requirements complete • Begin acquisition soon, deployment complete in 5 years

Summary • Lots of irons in the fire • More data coming in a near real-time basis including soil moisture/soil temperature • Work being done in coordination with Partners • Many items to be completed within the next 5 years • Data consistency and quality will be greatly improved for the climate record and drought monitoring