The JNT participates in collaborative partnership with NOAA Testbeds through the Developmental Testbed Center (DTC). NOAA Testbeds, including the DTC, are funded by the U.S. Weather Research Program (USWRP) and have an overarching goal to accelerate improvement of high-impact weather forecasting capability that significantly affect the lives and property of U.S. inhabitants. USWRP oversees nine testbeds ranging in scope from climate to extreme weather, NWP to data assimilation, and technology proving grounds to societal impacts.

Currently, JNT is providing evaluation of research NWP during forecasting experiments within the Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) and Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT). JNT is also using the ensemble prediction provided during HWT Spring Experiment to identify promising ensemble products for inclusion within the DTC Ensemble Testbed. Additionally, exploration of improvements to the Ferrier microphysics scheme contained within both Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model dynamical cores is a focus of DTCs collaboration with the HMT West field program and the operational and research branches of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Testbeds

Hazardous Weather Testbed
Objective evaluation of CAPS twenty-six member ensemble mean vs. Operational Baselines during 2010 Spring Experiment Read more.

Hazardous Weather Testbed: NOAA's Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) develops, tests and evaluates techniques to improve NWS severe weather forecast and warnings. The HWT is a joint facility managed by the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), and the NWS Oklahoma City/Norman Weather Forecast Office (OUN) located at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma. The HWT facilities include a combined forecast and research area placed between the operations areas of the SPC and OUN, and the NSSL Development Lab located nearby. Researchers, forecasters and developers use these facilities to evaluate new platforms and techniques, using past data and during real-time operations. Collaboration among these diverse groups provides valuable feedback that can immediately be applied to the research and development process, streamlining technology transfer. Learn more about HWT 2010 Spring Experiment

Hydrometeorology Testbed-West
Objective evaluation of HMT-West eight-member ensemble mean vs. Operational Baselines for 2011 Winter Experiment Read more.

Hydrometeorology Testbed: HMT was established in 2003 to address scientific and practical challenges associated with extreme precipitation, including a key focus of USWRP to improve quantitative precipitation forecasting (QPF). HMT's aim is to accelerate the development and prototyping of advanced hydrometeorological observations, models, and physical process understanding, and to foster infusion of these advances into forecasting operations of the NWS, and to support the broader user community's needs for 21st Century precipitation information. HMT addresses these requirements through innovation, demonstration and infusion. Major activities focus on QPF, QPE, snow information, hydrologic impacts, climate, and decision support tools. HMT's regional implementations started in California, have been extended to the Pacific Northwest, and are beginning in the Southeast. HMT is led by NOAA/ESRL's Physical Sciences Division with partners across NOAA, other agencies and universities. Learn more about HMT