A Real-Time, Virtual Spring Forecasting Experiment to Advance Severe Weather Prediction
Adam J. Clark, Israel L. Jirak, Burkely T. Gallo, Brett Roberts, Andrew R. Dean, Kent H. Knopfmeier, Louis J. Wicker, Makenzie Krocak, Patrick S. Skinner, Pamela L. Heinselman, Katie A. Wilson, Jake Vancil, Kimberly A. Hoogewind, Nathan A. Dahl, Gerald J. Creager, Thomas A. Jones, Jidong Gao, Yunheng Wang, Eric D. Loken, Montgomery L. Flora, Christopher A. Kerr, Nusrat Yussouf, Scott R. Dembek, William J. Miller, Joshua Martin, J.E. Castillo Guerra, Brian C. Matilla, David E. Jahn, David Harrison, David Imy, Michael C. Coniglio
Abstract
The NWS/Storm Prediction Center (SPC) and OAR/National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) co-led the 2020 NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Forecasting Experiment (2020 SFE) virtually to evaluate new convection-allowing models (CAMs) and ensembles, post-processing strategies, and severe weather prediction tools for accelerated transition to operations. SFE 2020 included worldwide participation from about 100 forecasters, researchers, and students. Gathering these different parts of the community facilitates research-tooperations and operations-to-research pathways that allow forecasters to interact and learn from researchers, and researchers to better understand forecaster needs and challenges.