Use of QuikSCAT Winds at NWS Use of QuikSCAT Winds at NWS Field OfficesField Offices

Andrew HanerAndrew Haner

Forecaster/Incident MeteorologistForecaster/Incident Meteorologist

NWS Seattle, WANWS Seattle, WA

Overall Marine Forecast Overall Marine Forecast ChallengeChallenge(From a white paper on Marine Observation (From a white paper on Marine Observation

Requirements.)Requirements.)

““Of vital importance to marine weather Of vital importance to marine weather forecasting, warning, and modeling is forecasting, warning, and modeling is an awareness of current oceanic and an awareness of current oceanic and atmospheric elements…achieved atmospheric elements…achieved through through continuous, real-time continuous, real-time monitoring of ocean and atmospheric monitoring of ocean and atmospheric elements.”elements.”

Coastal WFO Coastal WFO ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

• CWF with wind speed and direction to CWF with wind speed and direction to 5 days and updated every 6 hours5 days and updated every 6 hours– Wind speed at 5 kt increments; 12 hour Wind speed at 5 kt increments; 12 hour

periodperiod– Direction on 8-point compassDirection on 8-point compass– 0-60 nmi from coastline0-60 nmi from coastline

• SCA, Gales and Storm (21kt, 34kt, and SCA, Gales and Storm (21kt, 34kt, and 50kt) are primary focus of verification50kt) are primary focus of verification

Much talk on national center Much talk on national center use, but what about WFO’s?use, but what about WFO’s?

• Informal Survey of forecasters at Informal Survey of forecasters at Seattle, Portland and Juneau reveals Seattle, Portland and Juneau reveals good news and bad news:good news and bad news:

First the Bad News…First the Bad News…• Only about half of forecasters use Only about half of forecasters use

QuikSCAT at least QuikSCAT at least occasionallyoccasionally, ie. once , ie. once every week or two during fall/winterevery week or two during fall/winter

• Reasons cited for lack of use:Reasons cited for lack of use:– Availability of hourly near-shore data Availability of hourly near-shore data

(buoys, C-Mans, Coast Guard stations, etc.) (buoys, C-Mans, Coast Guard stations, etc.) versus two satellite passes per dayversus two satellite passes per day

– Lack of QuikSCAT data over inland Lack of QuikSCAT data over inland channels/ waterways and within 30 km of channels/ waterways and within 30 km of shoreshore

– Never became a regular part of Never became a regular part of forecasting “routine”forecasting “routine”

– ACCESSIBILITY and DISPLAYACCESSIBILITY and DISPLAY

……The Bad News (continued)The Bad News (continued)• Accessibility:Accessibility:

– Took until 2004 for QuikSCAT to become Took until 2004 for QuikSCAT to become a national AWIPS baseline producta national AWIPS baseline product

– Until recently, WR supported a back-Until recently, WR supported a back-door way to get QuikSCAT data onto the door way to get QuikSCAT data onto the AWIPS WAN, but data stream was AWIPS WAN, but data stream was inconsistent and experienced frequent inconsistent and experienced frequent interruptionsinterruptions

– Some forecasters think it’s inconvenient Some forecasters think it’s inconvenient to look for “operational” data on the to look for “operational” data on the webweb

……The Bad News (continued)The Bad News (continued)• Display:Display:

– Nearly every forecaster cited poor visual Nearly every forecaster cited poor visual display, one calling it “uninviting”display, one calling it “uninviting”

– There are not time stamps for individual There are not time stamps for individual satellite passessatellite passes

– Needs to be available as a gridded data Needs to be available as a gridded data set with better zooming and contour set with better zooming and contour capabilitiescapabilities

– Needs to be a capability to initialize IFPS Needs to be a capability to initialize IFPS grids with latest QuikSCAT data from the grids with latest QuikSCAT data from the “outer” coastal waters“outer” coastal waters

Now the Good News…Now the Good News…

• Every forecaster questioned had Every forecaster questioned had heard of QuikSCAT and recognized its heard of QuikSCAT and recognized its potential usefulnesspotential usefulness

• None thought it should go awayNone thought it should go away

• Of those who use it, nearly all Of those who use it, nearly all described it as a valuable data described it as a valuable data sourcesource

• One forecaster indicated QuikSCAT One forecaster indicated QuikSCAT data had made the difference in data had made the difference in deciding whether to issue Gale and deciding whether to issue Gale and Storm WarningsStorm Warnings

……The Good News The Good News (continued)(continued)• Forecasters indicated greatest Forecasters indicated greatest

usefulness is for situations when Gale usefulness is for situations when Gale or Storm force winds are forecast or Storm force winds are forecast within 0-2 days (this is where we within 0-2 days (this is where we make our money!)make our money!)

• Used for model validation, Used for model validation, extrapolation of close upstream extrapolation of close upstream features, and determining location of features, and determining location of quasi-stationary features (eg. gap quasi-stationary features (eg. gap winds)winds)

Other considerations:Other considerations:

• Dollars are now being diverted from Dollars are now being diverted from replacing coastal weather buoys to replacing coastal weather buoys to fixing open-ocean tsunami detection fixing open-ocean tsunami detection buoysbuoys

• Even when dollars are not tight, Even when dollars are not tight, buoys that go adrift are sometimes buoys that go adrift are sometimes not fixed for several monthsnot fixed for several months

• QuikSCAT is quite useful in filling in QuikSCAT is quite useful in filling in these gapsthese gaps

Other uses:Other uses:

• Anticipating Southern Hemisphere Anticipating Southern Hemisphere swell on southern California beaches swell on southern California beaches up to one week in advanceup to one week in advance

• Incident supportIncident support

Incident SupportIncident Support

M/V Selendang Ayu related Oil Spill near M/V Selendang Ayu related Oil Spill near Dutch Harbor, AKDutch Harbor, AK

The ChallengesThe Challenges

• Data Sparse environment with several Data Sparse environment with several broken buoysbroken buoys

• Harsh wintertime Aleutian weatherHarsh wintertime Aleutian weather

• Lives, big-dollar recovery decisions, and Lives, big-dollar recovery decisions, and the environment at riskthe environment at risk

Incident Support – A Success Incident Support – A Success StoryStory• Incident Meteorologist Jim Prange noted that Incident Meteorologist Jim Prange noted that

QuikSCAT was the only non-land-based QuikSCAT was the only non-land-based observational data available there observational data available there

• He and Incident Planners checked on He and Incident Planners checked on QuikSCAT data 4-6 times dailyQuikSCAT data 4-6 times daily

• Was very useful in forecasting wind waves Was very useful in forecasting wind waves and swelland swell

• On one day, QuikSCAT showed 40-knot winds On one day, QuikSCAT showed 40-knot winds while a model initialization showed 70 knots while a model initialization showed 70 knots just to their southwest, invalidating the just to their southwest, invalidating the model initializationmodel initialization

• QuikSCAT wind data were included in every QuikSCAT wind data were included in every briefingbriefing

Incident Support – A Success Incident Support – A Success StoryStory

• NOAA Hazmat personnel at incident say they NOAA Hazmat personnel at incident say they now want this kind of weather support/data at now want this kind of weather support/data at every large incidentevery large incident

In Summary…In Summary…• QuikSCAT has not been widely embraced QuikSCAT has not been widely embraced

at local NWS field offices but has proven at local NWS field offices but has proven useful at timesuseful at times

• Accessibility and display need significant Accessibility and display need significant improvement, especially in the AWIPS improvement, especially in the AWIPS environmentenvironment

• Tightening budgets for buoy Tightening budgets for buoy maintenance will make QuikSCAT data maintenance will make QuikSCAT data even more critical to near-shore even more critical to near-shore forecastingforecasting

• QuikSCAT data has been vital to ongoing QuikSCAT data has been vital to ongoing oil spill recovery efforts in the Aleutiansoil spill recovery efforts in the Aleutians

Questions?Questions?

Andrew HanerAndrew Haner

Forecaster/Incident MeteorologistForecaster/Incident Meteorologist

National Weather Service, SeattleNational Weather Service, Seattle