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NWS Raleigh Science Program
The purpose of the science program is to ensure that science and technology
are used effectively in forecast and warning operations to fulfill the mission of the NWS. The utilization
of science often requires research, many times with collaborative partners in NOAA, academia,
and other members of the weather enterprise. Implementing science effectively requires
frequent training with both atmospheric and hydrologic science as well as technology and software.
History of NWS Raleigh Science Program and Collaborations
One of the country's strongest collaborative research relationships between a National Weather
Service (NWS) office and a university started in Raleigh in the late 1970's. The process
began when meteorologists from the NWS and NC State started collaborating on various projects
including internships, seminars, and jointly participating in American Meteorological Society (AMS)
meetings. The relationship grew during the 1980's and 1990's with projects such as
the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment, the
Southeast Consortium on Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes, and various COMET projects. In 1994,
the NWS office moved and became collocated with NC State University. In the following years,
NWS Raleigh co-sponsored the first AMS regional workshop for
operational forecasters and hosted a National Weather Association annual meeting. NWS Raleigh has
participated in three NOAA Collaborative Science, Technology, and Applied Research (CSTAR)
projects and nearly a dozen COMET projects. The office participates in several NC State meteorology courses, a student internship
course for credit, and has hosted numerous student volunteers. Research and science results have been
published in several journals, presented in countless conferences, and shared with other NWS
offices.
A much more thorough and detailed History of the NWS Raleigh Science Program and Collaboration is available.
A power point
presentation illustrating the collaboration & research success between the NWS Raleigh and North Carolina State
University is also available.
Collaboration with NC State
For many years, the National Weather Service in Raleigh and North Carolina
State University have worked together to improve forecast and warning
services in the Carolinas. One result of these collaborative efforts has
been a better understanding of forecast problems found in the
southeast and has often resulted in operational schemes that
have helped NWS meteorologists forecast these meteorological
phenomena. In addition to the various research projects undertaken,
the collaboration also allows students the opportunity to
participate in formal internships, to work alongside forecasters,
and to volunteer on various projects at the NWS office.
- Funded research projects including COMET, CSTAR and various other experiments
- Unfunded informal collaborative projects
- Collaboration with the State Climate Office
- Online listserver discussions regarding forecast and other meteorological issues
- Student Career Education Program (SCEP) Students
- NC State Student Internship Course for
Credit (featured in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society)
- Joint severe operations with students assisting forecasters during active weather events
- Participation in NC State courses including remote sensing and atmospheric convection
- Student volunteers assist NWS forecasters in studying various forecast problems and technology issues
Five Step Process
For many years, the National Weather Service in Raleigh and North Carolina
State University have worked together to study forecast problems found in the
southeast. One result of this collaborative relationship have been improved
operational techniques that have helped NWS meteorologists forecast these meteorological
phenomena.
The transition of Research into Operations, often referred to as
R2O, is a critical part of this collaborative relationship. At times the relationship takes
an O2R2O framework where operational meteorologists bring problems to the researchers attention who
in turn provide improved techniques to the meteorologists.
The joint collaborations, whether they are R2O or O2R2O, are viewed as a
5-Step Process, whereby research findings ultimately are integrated into operations.
- Step 1 - Discover & Share (Only the beginning)
- Step 2 - Demonstrate added value (So what? Show me!)
- Step 3 - Operational Implementation (Is it practical?)
- Step 4 - Mastery (By all, not a few)
- Step 5 - Periodic review (A necessity)
Large Projects
A large part of the collaboration has been facilitated with grants to support several large projects including three NOAA
Collaborative Science, Technology, and Applied Research (CSTAR) projects and nearly a dozen Cooperative Program for Operational
Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) projects.
The latest information on these or any collaborative project is located on the
National Weather Service - NC State Collaborative
Research & Training Site.
CSTAR Projects
COMET Projects
CIFLOW
Southeast University Consortium for Severe Storms
Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE)
Science Infusion & Sharing
Forecast, Training, and CSTAR Workshop Presentations
Collaboration Teletraining
Data and Products
References and Conceptual Models
Software, Local Applications, Smart Tools, and AWIPS Procedures
Event Summaries, Case Studies, and Event Maps
The NWS Raleigh has a long tradition of providing event summaries
and case studies for significant and unique meteorological
events. The event summaries, case studies, and event maps serve
many purposes including: a means to improve our meteorological
understanding, a summary of the event for use as a training
tool, a means to evaluate the station's performance (determining
the training needs of the station and for individuals), and a review of the
event for general interest needs. Our inventory of cases is well over
140 and it continues to grow.
Catalog of Event Summaries, Case Studies and Event Maps
Science Presentations and Posters by NWS Raleigh
NWS Raleigh staff members have presented both oral presentations and poster presentations at various conferences, meetings, and workshops. Some of the
more recent presentations are shown below.
The Effects of Dry Air Ridging on the Rainfall Distribution of Tropical Storm Hanna. Barrett Smith and Jonathan Blaes, NWS Raleigh, NC. 2009 National Weather Association Annual Meeting, october 2009.
Using AMDAR Aircraft Observations at the National Weather Service Forecast Office Raleigh, North Carolina. Barrett Smith and Jonathan Blaes, NWS Raleigh, NC and Jason Beaman, NWS Mobile, AL. 2009 National Weather Association Annual Meeting, october 2009.
Overview of North Carolina Climate. Phillip Badgett, NWS Raleigh, NC. HMT NOAA Hydrometeorology Testbed-Southeast Research and Planning Workshop, June 2009.
The Effects of Dry Air Ridging on the Rainfall Distribution of Tropical Storm Hanna. Barrett Smith and Jonathan Blaes, NWS Raleigh, NC. Conference on the Inland Impacts of Tropical Cyclones (IITC), June 2009.
Experimental Lightning Forecasting in a National Weather Service Forecast Office. Gail Hartfield, NWS Raleigh, NC. AMS Fourth Conference on the Meteorological Applications of Lightning Data, January 2009.
Non-traditional Convective Storm Verification Methods. Jonathan Blaes, NWS Raleigh, NC. NWS Newport, NC Hurricane Conference, June 2008.
NWS RAH Aviation Initiatives. Jason Beaman, NWS Raleigh, NC. NWS Charleston, SC Sub-Regional Aviation Workshop, March 2008.
Publications Authored by NWS Raleigh
NWS Raleigh staff members have authored numerous articles in various publications and made countless presentations to a variety of conferences
and workshops. A listing of the articles published in peer reviewed publications is shown below.
Smith B.L., Yuter S.E., Neiman P.J., Kingsmill D.E. (2009) Water Vapor Fluxes and Orrographic Precipitation over Northern California
Associated with a Land-falling Atmospheric River. Monthly Weather Review: In Press
Abstract
Locklear, C.B., 2008: A Severe Weather Climatology for the Raleigh, NC, County Warning Area. NOAA Tech. Memo. NWS ER-101. 24 pp.
Schneider, D., and S. Sharp, 2007: Radar Signatures of Tropical Cyclone Tornadoes in Central North Carolina. Wea. Forecasting, 22, 278–286.
Abstract
Brennan, M.J., K. Keeter, A.J. Riordan, and G.M. Lackmann, 2005: Expanding Horizons with an NWS Internship Course. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 86, 1407–1409.
Abstract
Bailey, C.M., G. Hartfield, G.M. Lackmann, K. Keeter, and S. Sharp, 2003: An Objective Climatology, Classification Scheme, and Assessment of Sensible Weather Impacts for Appalachian Cold-Air Damming. Wea. Forecasting, 18, 641–661.
Abstract
Vincent, Brandon R., Lawrence D. Carey, Douglas Schneider, Kermit Keeter and Rod Gonski, 2003: Using WSR-88D Reflectivity Data for the Prediction of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning: A Central North Carolina Study. National Weather Digest, 27, 35–44.
Lackmann, G.M., K. Keeter, L.G. Lee, and M.B. Ek, 2002: Model Representation of Freezing and Melting Precipitation: Implications for Winter Weather Forecasting. Wea. Forecasting, 17, 1016–1033.
Abstract
Hoium, D.K., A.J. Riordan, J. Monahan, and K.K. Keeter, 1997: Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Warnings at Raleigh, North Carolina. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 78, 2559–2575.
Abstract
Pietrafesa, L.J., L. Xie, J. Morrison, G.S. Janowitz, J. Pelissier, K. Keeter, R.A. Neuherz, 1997: Numerical modeling and computer visualization of the Storm surge in and around the Croatan-Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary system Produced by Hurricane Emily of August 1993. Mausam, 4, 567-578.
Moneypenny, M.M., 1996: Tornadogensis and Widespread Wind Damage from a Low-Topped Squall Line. Eastern Region WSR-88D Operations Note. NWS ER-6. 17 pp.
Cione, J.J., S. Raman, L.J. Pietrafesa, X. Li, R.A. Neuherz and K. Keeter, 1996: The Development and Operational Implementation of the Atlantic Surface Cyclone Intensification Index (ASCII). Journal Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 89, 211–224.
Gurka, J.J., E.P. Auciello, A.F. Gigi, J.S. Waldstreicher, K.K. Keeter, S. Businger, and L.G. Lee, 1995: Winter Weather Forecasting throughout the Eastern United States. Part II: An Operational Perspective of Cyclogenesis. Wea. Forecasting, 10, 21–41.
Abstract
Keeter, K.K., S. Businger, L.G. Lee, and J.S. Waldstreicher, 1995: Winter Weather Forecasting throughout the Eastern United States. Part III: The Effects of Topography and the Variability of Winter Weather in the Carolinas and Virginia. Wea. Forecasting, 10, 42–60.
Abstract
Numerical Simulation Studies of the Mesoscale Environment Conducive to the Raleigh Tornado, 1995: Numerical Simulation Studies of the Mesoscale Environment Conducive to the Raleigh Tornado. NOAA Tech. Memo. NWS ER-90. 20 pp.
Keeter, K.K., and J.W. Cline, 1991: The Objective Use of Observed and Forecast Thickness Values to Predict Precipitation Type in North Carolina. Wea. Forecasting, 6, 456–469.
Abstract
Lee, L.G., R.F. Gonski, E.P. Auciello, J.R. Poirier, R.A. Marine, S. Businger, K.D. Lapenta, R.W. Kelly, and T.A. Niziol, 1989: Summary of the Second National Winter Weather Workshop. Wea. Forecasting, 4, 264–270.
Abstract
Green, Robert P., and Kermit K. Keeter, "Forecasting the Predominance of Frozen Precipitation: An Alternative for the Classification of Mixed Precipitation Events and the Verification of Precipitation Type." National Weather Digest, 6, 17-20.
References
Waldstreicher, J.S., 2005: Assessing the Impact of Collaborative Research Projects on NWS Warning Performance. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 86, 193–203.
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