USDA Products and Perspectives OFCM – Phased Array Radar Meeting
March 20-21, 2007Silver Spring, MD
USDA Products and Perspectives OFCM – Phased Array Radar Meeting
March 20-21, 2007Silver Spring, MD
By:Eric Luebehusen,
Agricultural Meteorologist
USDA – Office of the Chief EconomistWorld Agricultural Outlook BoardJoint Agricultural Weather Facility
By:Eric Luebehusen,
Agricultural Meteorologist
USDA – Office of the Chief EconomistWorld Agricultural Outlook BoardJoint Agricultural Weather Facility
Background:
Background:
Background:
Office of the Chief EconomistOffice of the Chief Economist
Background:
Office of the Chief Economist
(World Agricultural Outlook Board)
Office of the Chief Economist
Background:
Office of the Chief Economist
· Economists/Commodity Analysts
(World Agricultural Outlook Board)
Office of the Chief Economist
Background:
Office of the Chief Economist
Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)
· 7 Meteorologists· Economists/Commodity Analysts
(World Agricultural Outlook Board)
Office of the Chief Economist
Background:
Office of the Chief Economist
Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)
· 7 Meteorologists· Economists/Commodity Analysts
(World Agricultural Outlook Board)
Office of the Chief Economist
· 2 Meteorologists, 1 Student Intern
Background:
Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)
Background:
Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)
• Partnership began in 1940 when the Weather Bureau was transferred from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the Department of Commerce (DOC).
• Agreement was formalized in 1958
• JAWF was created in the late 1970’s as a result of former USSR crop failures and subsequent “Great Grain Robbery”. Staffed by meteorologists from USDA and DOC to provide early alert to potential problem areas.
• Located at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)
Primary Responsibility:
Primary Responsibility:
Primary Responsibility:
Support Economists in Crop Assessment Decision Making,
ultimately helping them develop their Commodity Forecasts
(a.k.a. WASDE)
Primary Responsibility:
Primary Responsibility:
Primary Responsibility:
WASDE Support (Wx):
WASDE Support (Wx):
Meteorologists are called upon to provide detailed Weather-Crop assessments prior to
Lock-Up, and radar plays an important role…
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Daily Wx Briefings incorporate current composites and loops; In this case (last Tues),
monitoring the potential for flood-related fieldwork delays in Texas.
Keeping abreast of current conditions via radar at the highest-possible resolution is key to USDA/WAOB operations.
Radar data web sites provide a highly-valued service to USDA staff.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
60-Day Total Pcp
USDA Meteorologists rely heavily on “as-is” products such as these 60-Day precipitation graphics provided by the NWS’s Southern
Region Headquarters Precipitation Analysis Products.
USDA Meteorologists rely heavily on “as-is” products such as these 60-Day precipitation graphics provided by the NWS’s Southern
Region Headquarters Precipitation Analysis Products.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
60-Day PNP
Radar data are also used track tropical cyclones in key agricultural areas…
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
60-Day PNP
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
“Static” imagery provide a good first-guess of potential crop impacts.
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
But there is a need to do more than just “look” at imagery, which is where GIS comes in to play...
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
But there is a need to do more than just “look” at imagery, which is where GIS comes in to play...
Radar Products Used @ JAWF
Geo-referenced radar data allowed USDA staff to assess problem areas and potential
crop impacts. Here, the track of the storm’s center likely caused lodging of mature, unharvested sugarcane.
In addition, GIS-ready data allow for simple calculations (such as this summation) to further highlight potential
problem areas.
In many cases, radar data fills in the gaps between station
observations. In this case, it provided evidence of what
“didn’t” happen.
WASDE Support (Wx):
JAWF has become very much GIS-Driven, and the more products
which are GIS ready, the better!
WASDE Support (Wx):
Products like these are used frequently by top-level USDA staff.
SummaryReal-time data are
used daily, in briefings given by NWS staff
and by USDA meteorologists.
SummaryArchives of static imagery are useful for preliminary
assessments .
Summary
Archives of geo-referenced imagery are even more useful for crop-weather
assessments .
SummaryRadar products, often
enhanced and customized in-house, are a key
component in many of the graphics presented to
USDA upper-level management.