6/4/12 Daily Recap

The first day of the 2012 AWC Summer Experiment went generally well. It was a chance for not only the forecasters, but also for us, the GOES-R liaisons, to get our feet wet as we are both new to the experiment process.

While the weather wasn't particularly exciting yesterday, it may have been in our favor as we were able to work through the kinks that come with the first day, while at the same time slowly getting into our new GOES-R products. Despite the general lack of convection and no 'official' AWS statements being issued, we were able to gain some very useful feedback.

In the morning our group focused on the Southeast U.S., and a dying nocturnal MCS still setting off some convection over Northern MS and AL. Using several synthetic ABI bands to study details within the cloud structure and the Overshooting Top detection algorithm, our forecaster posed some interesting questions in regards to flight routes and their proximity to thunderstorms.

As the remaining convection in that area began to slowly lose steam, we shifted our focus up the East Coast somewhat, to the area surrounding the major airport hubs in NY, NJ, and DC, where an experimental AWS statement had been issued for low ceilings. Using the GOES-R Low Cloud/Fog product, we were able to compare that forecast with our own probabilities of IFR conditions.

We continued to monitor this area after our lunch break, while also shifting our focus back down South, off the coast of the Carolines. Here we were able to study a good case of using GOES-R products in areas where radar coverage is more sparse, and also in areas of developing squall lines. Additionally, we kept one eye on the San Fransisco area and a second experimental AWS for low ceilings around the airspace there.

All in all, the ended well at the GOES-R desk. Again, the more docile weather actually seemed to be a plus, as it allowed us to take our time getting our feet wet instead of diving in head first. As the week progresses we look forward to delving deeper into the experiment and hope to have some more interesting convection cases. Stay tuned to the blog for continued updates!