1. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 1 AIRS Products for the National Weather Service Brad Zavodsky SPoRT Science Advisory Committee: June 12, 2007

2. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 2 Overview ♦ AIRS Instrument Review ♦ SPoRT/SOO workshop and AIRS Science Team collaborations ♦ Current Work Point Location Skew-Ts Gridded AIRS product for WFO Boundary Layer Height ♦ Summary/Future Plans Relevance to SPoRT: Taking real-time AIRS L2 profile data and creating useful tools to assist NWS forecasters improve 0 – 24h forecasts

3. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 3 AIRS Instrument Review ♦ Aboard Aqua polar orbiter with early afternoon equator crossing ♦ 2378 spectral channels from 3.7 to 15.4 μm) (650 – 2675 cm -1 ) ♦ 3 x 3 footprints (golfball; L1B: 15km; L2: 50 km spatial resolution) ♦ L2 products have: V4 (current version) 0.9-1.3K global ocean and land (in 1 km layers); <15% RH (in 2 km layers) quality indicators (QIs) based on how deep the sounding goes in the atmosphere V5 (available S07) will have improved accuracy (WV profile and over non-frozen land) and level-by- level error estimates for better QIs

4. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 4 Outcome of SPoRT/SOO Workshop and AIRS Science Team Visit ♦ AIRS L2 products beneficial because they provide upper air information in spatial and temporal data voids ♦ Feedback from SPoRT/SOO workshop determined that AIRS L2 products could help solve specific forecast problems: atmospheric destabilization leading to convective storms diagnoses of 4D moisture variability in the mesoscale (particularly ahead of developing weather) improved 0 – 24 hr prediction of sensible weather elements fog, smoke, and low cloud detection (boundary layer) ♦ Visit by AIRS Science Team members from JPL to discuss operational use of AIRS with WFO yielded three potential products: L2 soundings at specific points (used as RAOBS) L3 gridded product (generated from L2 profiles; used as model) Boundary layer height product

5. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 5 Current Work: AIRS Skew-Ts at Point Locations ♦ Provide WFO sounding information for nearest high-quality AIRS sounding ♦ Overlay AIRS and RAOB data at RAOB locations (e.g. BNA) ♦ Produce just AIRS profiles at latitude/ longitude for locations lacking RAOB (e.g. HUN) ♦ Introduce into AWIPS as RAOB data Sample AIRS/RAOB overlain Skew-T for Nashville, TN (BNA) Sample AIRS Skew-T for Huntsville, AL (HUN) (no available RAOB) 00Z RAOB 12Z RAOB AIRS AIRS

6. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 6 Current Work: Gridded AIRS Product for WFO ♦ “Proof of concept” prototype using V4 standard AIRS profiles and Cressman analysis ♦ Produces smooth, realistic looking field of temperatures and dew points with no discontinuities from land to water AWIPS display of AIRS 1000 hPa TAWIPS display of AIRS 1000 hPa Td Let’s look at how AWIPS displays a cross section of AIRS data

7. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 7 Current Work: Gridded AIRS Product for WFO (cnt’d) ♦ Easily generates vertical cross sections ♦ Able to create point soundings with calculated indices (e.g. CAPE, LCL, etc.) at any location there are data AWIPS display of AIRS T cross sectionAWIPS display of AIRS Td cross section

8. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 8 Current Work: Boundary Layer Height Product ♦ Important to validate AIRS lower layers in order to use product (assist JPL in this task) ♦ Comparison between UAH MPR data collocated in space and time ♦ Preliminary results indicate AIRS and MPR show similar structure of lower atmosphere— should lead to similar boundary layer height ♦ Product for WFO would convey boundary layer height on a pixel-by-pixel basis forecasters could view plan view of boundary layer or cross section (similar viewing to gridded product) AIRS MIPS Same lower atmosphere structure

9. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 9 Summary ♦ AIRS profiles are a valuable asset to the operational community by providing upper air information in spatial and temporal data voids ♦ The SPoRT/SOO workshop and meetings with members of the AIRS Science Team helped identify three possible products that could assist forecasters with specific forecasting problems L2 soundings at specific points L3 gridded product Boundary Layer height product ♦ Continued collaboration with the AIRS Science Team and NWS will help determine best possible products for operational use

10. transitioning unique NASA data and research technologies to the NWS 10 Future Work ♦ Eagerly awaiting implementation of V5 AIRS algorithm sometime this summer—working closely with JPL and University of Wisconsin to get AIRS V5 on direct broadcast as quickly as possible ♦ Add AIRS point soundings as an additional RAOB type in AWIPS ♦ Adapt the prototype gridded product to use V5 support product and get further assistance from JPL in producing a regional, gridded product in near-real-time (perhaps a new L3 product in V6 release) Produce files in real-time and transfer to WFOs for forecaster use ♦ Assist JPL with validation of AIRS boundary layer using UAH MIPS, which could lead to a boundary layer height product for WFOs