NCEP Synergy Meeting Highlights: November 13, 2013

This meeting was led by Wallace Hogsett (WPC) and attended by Keith Brill (WPC); Chris Caruso Magee and Becky Cosgrove (NCO); Vera Gerald, Stephen Barry, Eric Rogers, David DeWitt, and Mary Hart (EMC); Kathy Gilbert, Phil Shafer, Dave Rudack. et al. (MDL); Andy Dean and Israel Jirak (SPC); Joe Sienkiewicz (OPC); David Bright and Steve Silberberg (AWC); Jeff Waldstreicher (ER); Bill Ward (PR); Andy Edman (WR); Bernard Meisner (SR); John Kelley (NOS); Leslie Rosenfeld (NODC)

1.                            NOTES FROM NCO (Chris Caruso-Magee and Becky Cosgrove)

-          GFS flight-level 410 change is in, as of November 13.

-          There was a dissemination problem with the TOC backup, but it has been resolved.

-          RAP/RTMA 30-day evaluation period is on hold due to model failures

o Problem with topography near southern grid boundary

o Problem is known and fix is being tested now

o Evaluators can continue looking at RAP

o 30-day evaluation period will restart in mid-to-late December

-          A TIN is out for RAP/NAM Bufr soundings, but those will be delayed.

-          SREF is next implementation, but no start date is set.

-          RTOFS output will be available by early December.

-          There were a few MDL MOS updates on November 5

o updated GFS-based cool season wind equations

o addition of sky cover to 1200 UTC GFS MOS extended-range message

o addition of sky cover and ceiling to Pacific MOS message

2.              NOTES FROM EMC

2a. Global Climate and Weather Modeling Branch (GCWMB) (John Derber)

Current plan is for a Q3 implementation of the new GFS:

-          ~13km resolution

-          0.25 degree output files out to 10 days

-          Many physics and land surface changes, details forthcoming

2b. Mesoscale Modeling Branch (MMB) (Eric Rogers)

-          RAP/RTMA may slide into early Q2 due to problems.

-          SREF on schedule for Q2.

-          High Res Window kickoff meeting Nov13 and will occur sometime during Q2.

-          NAM will be tested for six more weeks; upgrade in Q3.

-          HRRR implementation dependent on RAP; some potential for schedule to slip.

2c. Marine Modeling and Analysis Branch (MMAB) (Vera Gerald)

No report.

3.              NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE (NOS, John Kelley):

No report. NCO reports that no date has been set for STOFS kickoff meeting.

4.              FEEDBACK FROM MDL/OPERATIONAL CENTERS/REGIONS

4a. MDL (Kathy Gilbert and Phil Shafer):

-          New additions to GMOS in Q2:

o Probabilistic and best category precip types (frozen/freezing/liquid)

o Predominant weather grid

o 6 and 12 hour probabilistic QPF

o Precipitation potential index

-          Headers have been requested and DRG requests are being put together

4b. NCEP Centers and NWS Regions

Weather Prediction Center (WPC, Wallace Hogsett):

-          WPC working on internal transition to 2.5km medium range grids. AWIPS change sometime next year.

-          2014 Winter Weather Experiment will occur Jan – Feb, including remote sessions with participants from WFOs.

Storm Prediction Center (SPC, Israel Jirak): No report.

National Hurricane Center (NHC, no representative):

Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC, no representative):

Ocean Prediction Center (OPC, Joe Sienkiewicz):

Aviation Weather Center (AWC, Steve Silberberg): No report.

Pacific Region (PR, Bill Ward):

-          Want to get the COAMPS on the SBN.

-          Haven’t yet looked at ceiling fields for MDL.

Alaska Region (AR, ): No report.

Eastern Region (ER, Jeff Waldstreicher): Nothing to report.

Western Region (WR, Andy Edman):

-          With the 13km GFS coming this spring, there is an urgent need to get the data to the field. The action is on Luis Cano and John Murphy to get it done.

Southern Region (SR, Bernard Meisner): No report

-          Appreciate the ECMWF MOS ensemble box plots from MDL, who runs 52 members through equation and put the results in box plot form. MDL plans to do some calibration on them.

-     Available on MDL webpage’s (restricted to noaa staff), but it’s not ready for implementation at this time.

Central Region (CR, no representative):

5.              NESDIS (no representative):

The next Synergy Meeting will be held at 2:30 pm EST on Monday, 13 January 2014 in NCWCP conference room 2890, with remote teleconferencing capability.