First impressions Day One HWT

Being from the broadcast side of things, my familiarity with AWIPS is low, but the HWT folks here have given me a quick course and I am getting quickly used to setting things up for the week ahead.

From the pre-HWTB training moduels, I am very interested in the NSSL WRF sythentic satellite imagery (GOES R PG), the Prob Severe Model and the Convec. Initiation/LAPS.

I already use synthetic imagery from a 4km model (RPM run by WSI in Boston) and have found that it is very good for quickly determining how well the model is performing on a daily bases. You can easily spot errors in convection/cloud precip etc. I have also frequently found that the model will do well but has temporal errors of up to 120 mins. Will I see the see the same thing with the NSSL WRF Simulated imagery this week?? Time will tell and I will look for it. My first impressions today are that it is very similar to my previous experience and will be quite valuable as a model diagnostic tool.

Lightning jump is another thing I will be looking at hard because I have had recent experience in seeing this (albeit only on CG data) with a tornadic super-cell in Delaware that produced an EF1.

Lastly the CIMMS theta E difference seems to have high potential to improve temporal and spatial forecasts of convection. The case studies I looked at during the pre-HWT training were impressive. Am hoping to see it in action this week. Today we are looking at some high theta e diff moving into Southern KS this Monday afternoon. Will see if the convection goes along the boundary we have id’d near Osage Cty Okla.



Dan Satterfield
WBOC TV Salisbury,MD