Workshop Goals and General Information:
As the socioeconomic impacts of weather and climate variability on the U.S. populace and economy continue to grow, so does the demand for NOAA weather and climate data products. Temperature and precipitation data are the most basic and frequently requested elements by customers. As the nation’s steward for environmental data, NOAA collects this information at thousands of U.S. in situ sites.
Two NOAA networks provide the bulk of the data for research and socioeconomic applications. The largest is the volunteer Cooperative Observer Program (COOP). The COOP network consists of about 11,000 stations. The second network consists of about 900 Automated Surface Observing Station (ASOS) stations, located primarily at airports. These two networks and the temperature and precipitation data (including snowfall) they report are the primary focus of this workshop.
The forum will provide information regarding COOP modernization and instrument changes for ASOS, as well as the new Climate Reference Network (CRN) and its association with the ASOS and COOP networks. In addition, the forum will present a new strategy to collect, quality control, and disseminate data from a multitude of non-NOAA networks.
Understanding how the data are collected, what data are available, and some of the subtleties that affect their interpretation can increase the value of the data for users. Speakers will identify products and their accessibility as well as discuss continuity issues.
The workshop will be interactive, allowing customers to voice their needs for observations and data and priorities for change, and to interact directly with NOAA National Weather Service and the National Climatic Data Center personnel involved in the production and distribution of the products.
The goals of this workshop are:
- Provide weather and climate data users with information on NOAA in situ observations and data products and services derived from ASOS and COOP stations, including types of observations and data available, sources for the information, interpretation, and planned changes in the collection, quality control, and delivery of the observations and data.
- Collect and prioritize customer needs for improvements in data collection, quality control, and delivery.
- Continue the dialogue between NOAA and its customers on weather and climate observations and data and products.
Workshop Agenda: (agenda pdf file)
The format for this workshop will consist of prepared presentations ending with a panel discussion on the first day, with breakout sessions on the second day following up on the discussions which occurred during the panel discussion.
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Thursday, June 3 -
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NOAA Data Users' Forum: Surface Weather & Climate Observations & Data --- Speakers' Presentations and Panel Discussion
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7:30-8:00 a.m.
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Check in/Registration, Coffee and Light Refreshments
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8:00-8:15 a.m.
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Introduction and Logistics: Barbara Mayes (NOAA/NWS) and Sam McCown (NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC)
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8:15-9:15 a.m.
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Session 1: NOAA Status Check
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8:15-8:45 a.m.
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NCDC Update
Thomas R. Karl, Director, NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC and
Program Manager for NOAA Climate Observations and Analysis
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8:45-9:15 a.m.
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NWS Update
Gregory A. Mandt, Director, Office of Climate, Water,
and Weather Services, NOAA/NWS
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9:15-9:45 a.m.
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Session 2: Complementary Data (Mesonets)
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9:15-9:30 a.m.
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NWS Strategy for Integrating Mesonets into COOP Modernization
Kenneth C. Crawford, Program Director for COOP Modernization,
NOAA/NWS
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9:30-9:45 a.m.
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Ingest, Integration, Quality Control, and Distribution of
Surface Mesonet Observations using the NOAA Meteorological
Assimilation Data Ingest System (MADIS)
Patricia A. Miller, Chief, Scientific Applications Branch,
Forecast Systems Laboratory, NOAA/OAR
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9:45-10:15 a.m.
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Break, Coffee and Light Refreshments
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10:15-11:15 a.m.
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Session 3: Ongoing Work with Partners
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10:15-10:35 a.m.
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USDA/NRCS: Climate and Water Supply Programs
Phil Pasteris, Branch Leader, Water and Climate Services,
National Water and Climate Center, Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)
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10:35-10:55 a.m.
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National Integrated Drought Information System
Shaun McGrath, Program Manager, Western Governors' Association
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10:55-11:15 a.m.
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Visions for the Future
Kelly Redmond, Deputy Director, Western Regional Climate Center
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11:15-11:55 a.m.
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Session 4: Customer Voices
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11:15-11:35 a.m.
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Commercial Weather
Elliot Abrams, Chief Meteorologist, AccuWeather, Inc.
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11:35-11:55 a.m.
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Academia: Changing Uses of Climate Data and Information
Over the Past 50 Years
Stanley A. Changnon, Chief Emeritus, Illinois State Water Survey, and
President, Changnon Climatologist
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11:55 a.m.-
12:05 p.m.
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Morning Wrap-up and Logistics: Barbara Mayes (NOAA/NWS) and Sam McCown (NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC)
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12:15-1:45 p.m.
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Lunch (provided)
Keynote speaker: Dr. Kenneth C. Crawford, Program Director for COOP Modernization, NOAA/NWS
COOP Modernization: The Foundation for an Integrated
Surface Observing System
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1:45-2:45 p.m.
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Session 4: Customer Voices (continued)
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1:45-2:05 p.m.
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Government
Heath Hockenberry, Assistant Fire Weather Program Manager,
National Interagency Fire Center, Bureau of Land Management
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2:05-2:25 p.m.
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Industry
Mark Russo, Staff Meteorologist, Chesapeake Energy Company
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2:25-2:45 p.m.
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Media
Troy M. Kimmel Jr., Chief Meteorologist, KVET/KASE/KFMK Radio
(Clear Channel Radio), and Lecturer and Manager, Weather and
Climate Resource Center, Dept. of Geography, University of Texas
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2:45-3:15 p.m.
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Break, Coffee and Light Refreshments
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3:15-4:45 p.m.
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Panel Discussion
TOPIC: Customer feedback on Friday morning breakout session topics
Moderator: Nolan Doesken, Senior Research Associate, Colorado Climate Center
Panelists:
Industry:
Brian O'Hearne, Vice-President, Weather Risk Management Association
Regional Climate Centers:
Kenneth Hubbard, Director, High Plains Regional Climate Center
Academia / State Climatologists:
David Robinson, President, American Association of State
Climatologists, New Jersey State Climatologist, and Professor
and Chair of Department of Geography, Rutgers University
Media:
Paul Knight, Producer, Co-host, and On-Camera Meteorologist,
WPSX-TV's Weather World, Senior Forecaster,
The New York Times, Pennsylvania State Climatologist, and
Instructor, Pennsylvania State University
Commercial Weather:
Bill Bradbury, President, Weather Factor, Inc.
Non-NOAA Government Agency:
Thomas Puterbaugh, Deputy Chief Meteorologist, USDA
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4:45-5:00 p.m.
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Day One Wrap-up and Logistics: Barbara Mayes (NOAA/NWS) and Sam McCown (NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC)
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Friday, June 4 -
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NOAA Data Users' Forum: Surface Weather & Climate Observations & Data --- Breakout Sessions
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7:30-8:00 a.m.
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Coffee and Light Refreshments
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8:00-8:10 a.m.
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Introduction and Logistics: Barbara Mayes (NOAA/NWS) and Sam McCown (NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC)
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8:15-9:45 a.m.
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Breakout Sessions
TOPICS:
1. COOP Modernization
Facilitator: Brian O'Hearne (WRMA)
2. Snowfall Measurement and Data
Facilitator: David Robinson (AASC)
3. Quality Control
Facilitator: Ken Hubbard (HPRCC)
4. Timeliness of Data Availability
Facilitator: Bill Bradbury (Weather Factor)
5. Flexible topic based on customer feedback from panel discussion
Facilitator: Nolan Doesken (CCC)
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9:45-10:15 a.m.
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Break, Coffee and Light Refreshments
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10:15-11:30 a.m.
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Breakout Sessions continue
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11:30 a.m.-noon
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Breakout Session Summaries
5 minutes each:
1. COOP Modernization
2. Snowfall Measurement and Data
3. Quality Control
4. Timeliness of Data Availability
5. Flexible topic based on customer feedback from panel discussion
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noon-12:15 p.m.
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Forum Wrap-up and Summary: Barbara Mayes (NOAA/NWS) and Sam McCown (NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC)
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Register for the NOAA Data Users' Forum:
Registration for the Data Users' Forum: Surface Weather & Climate Observations & Data workshop is being done separately from registration for the Snowfall Network Observations Workshop (SNOW). There is a $25.00 (USD) registration fee for each workshop. Please use the following form when pre-registering for the Data Users' Forum: Surface Weather & Climate Observations & Data workshop:
Pre-Registration Form (WordPerfect version) (pdf version)
The deadline for pre-registration is May 18, 2004. Pre-registrations made after that time might not be processed before the workshop. On-site registrations will be taken at the workshop as space allows. Seating capacity in the meeting room is limited. Seating will be available to the first 150 registered participants. Everyone (including speakers and NOAA employees) should go through the registration process.
If you would like to attend both workshops, you will need to register separately for the Snowfall Network Observations Workshop (SNOW).
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