scholarly journals Usefulness of the United States National Weather Service Radar Display as Rated by Website Users

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 673-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle E. Saunders ◽  
Kevin D. Ash ◽  
Jennifer M. Collins
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Spatial Clustering ◽  
Weather Radar ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
National Weather Service ◽  
Weather Information ◽  
Weather Service

Abstract Weather radar is now widely viewed by the general public in the United States via television, computers/tablets, and smartphones. Anyone can consult near-real-time maps and animations of weather radar data when weather conditions are a factor. However, the usefulness of weather radar data for each user depends on a complex interaction of factors. There have been few studies providing conceptual arguments and empirical data to better understand what the most important factors are and to comprehend patterns of public weather radar use across the United States. The first part of this research provides a basic conceptual framework for research investigating the usefulness of weather radar displays as a source of weather information and as a decision aid. The second part aims to uncover several factors that influence the perceived usefulness rating of the National Weather Service (NWS) website’s weather radar display at both national and regional levels using variables gathered from the 2014 NWS customer satisfaction survey alongside relevant geographic and climatological variables. Data analyses include spatial clustering and ordinal regression utilized within a generalized linear model methodology. Overall, respondents who are more familiar with the NWS and their products, as well as those who indicate they are more likely to take action based on information provided by the NWS, are more likely to find the NWS radar display useful. Geographically, the NWS radar display is most useful to persons residing in the southern United States. Lightning is the most important hazard associated with higher radar usefulness ratings.

An Analysis of 2016-2018 Tornadoes and National Weather Service Tornado Warnings across the contiguous United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan S. Bentley ◽  
Richard L. Thompson ◽  
Barry R. Bowers ◽  
Justin G. Gibbs ◽  
Steven E. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rotational Velocity ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Probability Of Detection ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
National Weather Service ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Tornado Warnings ◽  
Tornado Warning ◽  
Weather Service

AbstractPrevious work has considered tornado occurrence with respect to radar data, both WSR-88D and mobile research radars, and a few studies have examined techniques to potentially improve tornado warning performance. To date, though, there has been little work focusing on systematic, large-sample evaluation of National Weather Service (NWS) tornado warnings with respect to radar-observable quantities and the near-storm environment. In this work, three full years (2016–2018) of NWS tornado warnings across the contiguous United States were examined, in conjunction with supporting data in the few minutes preceding warning issuance, or tornado formation in the case of missed events. The investigation herein examines WSR-88D and Storm Prediction Center (SPC) mesoanalysis data associated with these tornado warnings with comparisons made to the current Warning Decision Training Division (WDTD) guidance.Combining low-level rotational velocity and the significant tornado parameter (STP), as used in prior work, shows promise as a means to estimate tornado warning performance, as well as relative changes in performance as criteria thresholds vary. For example, low-level rotational velocity peaking in excess of 30 kt (15 m s−1), in a near-storm environment which is not prohibitive for tornadoes (STP > 0), results in an increased probability of detection and reduced false alarms compared to observed NWS tornado warning metrics. Tornado warning false alarms can also be reduced through limiting warnings with weak (<30 kt), broad (>1nm) circulations in a poor (STP=0) environment, careful elimination of velocity data artifacts like sidelobe contamination, and through greater scrutiny of human-based tornado reports in otherwise questionable scenarios.

scholarly journals Intercomparison of Mixing Layer Heights from the National Weather Service Ceilometer Test Sites and Collocated Radiosondes

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micheal Hicks ◽  
Belay Demoz ◽  
Kevin Vermeesch ◽  
Dennis Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Mixing Layer ◽  
The United States ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
National Weather Service ◽  
Layer Height ◽  
Hot Arid Climate ◽  
Mixing Layer Height ◽  
Sky Conditions ◽  
Weather Service

AbstractA network of automated weather stations (AWS) with ceilometers can be used to detect sky conditions, aerosol dispersion, and mixing layer heights, in addition to the routine surface meteorological parameters (temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.). Currently, a dense network of AWSs that observe all of these parameters does not exist in the United States even though networks of them with ceilometers exist. These networks normally use ceilometers for determining only sky conditions. Updating AWS networks to obtain those nonstandard observations with ceilometers, especially mixing layer height, across the United States would provide valuable information for validating and improving weather/climate forecast models. In this respect, an aerosol-based mixing layer height detection method, called the combined-hybrid method, is developed and evaluated for its uncertainty characteristics for application in the United States. Four years of ceilometer data from the National Weather Service Ceilometer Proof of Concept Project taken in temperate, maritime polar, and hot/arid climate regimes are utilized in this evaluation. Overall, the method proved to be a strong candidate for estimating mixing layer heights with ceilometer data, with averaged uncertainties of 237 ± 398 m in all tested climate regimes and 69 ± 250 m when excluding the hot/arid climate regime.

Performance of National Weather Service Forecasts Compared to Operational, Consensus, and Weighted Model Output Statistics

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1034-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Baars ◽  
Clifford F. Mass
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Minimum Variance ◽  
Model Output ◽  
National Weather Service ◽  
Past Performance ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Model Output Statistics ◽  
Weather Service

Abstract Model output statistics (MOS) guidance has been the central model postprocessing approach used by the National Weather Service since the 1970s. A recent advancement in the use of MOS is the application of “consensus” MOS (CMOS), an average of MOS from two or more models. CMOS has shown additional skill over individual MOS forecasts and has performed well compared to humans in forecasting contests. This study compares MOS, CMOS, and WMOS (weighting component MOS predictions by their past performance) forecasts of temperature and precipitation to those of the National Weather Service (NWS) subjective forecasts. Data from 29 locations throughout the United States from 1 August 2003 through 1 August 2004 are used. MOS forecasts from the Global Forecast System (GMOS), Eta (EMOS), and Nested Grid Model (NMOS) models are included, with CMOS being a simple average of these three forecasts. WMOS is calculated using weights determined from a minimum variance method, with varying training periods for each station and variable. Performance is analyzed at various forecast periods, by region of the United States, and by time/season, as well as for periods of large daily temperature changes or large departures from climatology. The results show that CMOS is competitive or superior to human forecasts at nearly all locations and that WMOS is superior to CMOS. Human forecasts are most skillful compared to MOS during the first forecast day and for periods when temperatures differ greatly from climatology. The implications of these results regarding the future role of human forecasters are examined in the conclusions.

Weather Analysis and Forecasting

1979 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick L. Crosby
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Weather Service ◽  
Weather Service

I appreciate the opportunity to talk to the 25th Conference for a few minutes today on the procedures and programs used by the National Weather Service to provide a meteorological service to the United States. Paper published with permission.

scholarly journals Population structure of Drosophila suzukii and signals of multiple invasions into the continental United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle M Lewald ◽  
Antoine Abrieux ◽  
Derek A Wilson ◽  
Yoosook Lee ◽  
William R Conner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Population Structure ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Drosophila Suzukii ◽  
Significant Damage ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Multiple Invasions

Drosophila suzukii, or spotted-wing drosophila, is now an established pest in many parts of the world, causing significant damage to numerous fruit crop industries. Native to East Asia, D. suzukii infestations started in the United States a decade ago, occupying a wide range of climates. To better understand invasion ecology of this pest, knowledge of past migration events, population structure, and genetic diversity is needed. To improve on previous studies examining genetic structure of D. suzukii, we sequenced whole genomes of 237 individual flies collected across the continental U.S., as well as several representative sites in Europe, Brazil, and Asia, to identify hundreds of thousands of genetic markers for analysis. We analyzed these markers to detect population structure, to reconstruct migration events, and to estimate genetic diversity and differentiation within and among the continents. We observed strong population structure between West and East Coast populations in the U.S., but no evidence of any population structure North to South, suggesting there is no broad-scale adaptations occurring in response to the large differences in regional weather conditions. We also find evidence of repeated migration events from Asia into North America have provided increased levels of genetic diversity, which does not appear to be the case for Brazil or Europe. This large genomic dataset will spur future research into genomic adaptations underlying D. suzukii pest activity and development of novel control methods for this agricultural pest.

scholarly journals A Python tool and database of Amtrak departure and arrival times with weather information

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pipatphon Lapamonpinyo ◽  
Sybil Derrible ◽  
Francesco Corman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Raw Data ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
Passenger Train ◽  
Weather Information ◽  
Weather Underground ◽  
The One ◽  
Rail Station

This article proposes a Python-based Amtrak and Weather Underground (PAWU) tool to collect data on Amtrak (the main passenger train operator in the United States) departure and arrival times with weather information. In addition, this article offers a database, developed with PAWU, of the operating characteristics of 16 Amtrak routes from 2008 to 2019. More specifically, PAWU enables users to retrieve Amtrak departure and arrival times of any train number throughout the United States. It then automatically retrieves weather information from Weather Underground for each rail station and stores the data collected in a local MySQL database. Users can easily select any desired train number(s) and date range(s) without dealing with the code and the raw data from those sources that are in different formats. The database itself can be used, in part, to develop, apply, and benchmark models that assess the performance of rail services such as the one offered by Amtrak.

scholarly journals A 5-yr 40-km-Resolution Global Climatology of Superrefraction for Ground-Based Weather Radars

2009 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Lopez
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Electromagnetic Waves ◽  
Vertical Gradient ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Late Afternoon ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Radar Images

Abstract The propagation of electromagnetic waves emitted from ground-based meteorological radars is determined by the stratification of the atmosphere. In extreme superrefractive situations characterized by strong temperature inversions or strong vertical gradients of moisture, the radar beam can be deflected toward the ground (ducting or trapping). This phenomenon often results in spurious returned echoes and misinterpretation of radar images such as erroneous precipitation detection. In this work, a 5-yr global climatology of the frequency of superrefractive and ducting conditions and of trapping-layer base height has been produced using refractivity computations from ECMWF temperature, moisture, and pressure analyses at a 40-km horizontal resolution. The aim of this climatology is to better document how frequent such events are, which is a prerequisite for fully benefiting from radar data information for the multiple purposes of model validation, precipitation analysis, and data assimilation. First, the main climatological features are summarized for the whole globe: high- and midlatitude oceans seldom experience superrefraction or ducting whereas tropical oceans are strongly affected, especially in regions where the trade wind inversion is intense and lying near the surface. Over land, seasonal averages of superrefraction (ducting) frequencies reach 80% (40%) over tropical moist areas year-round but remain below 40% (15%) in most other regions. A particular focus is then laid on Europe and the United States, where extensive precipitation radar networks already exist. Seasonal statistics exhibit a pronounced diurnal cycle of ducting occurrences, with averaged frequencies peaking at 60% in summer late afternoon over the eastern half of the United States, the Balkans, and the Po Valley but no ducts by midday. Similarly high ducting frequencies are found over the southwestern coast of the United States at night. A potentially strong reduction of ducting occurrences with increased radar height (especially in midlatitude summer late afternoon) is evidenced by initiating refractivity vertical gradient computations from either the lowest or the second lowest model level. However, installing radar on tall towers also brings other problems, such as a possible amplification of sidelobe clutter echoes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document