Contact:  Rob Cifelli

HMT Completes Work Plan on Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE)

HMT staff recently completed a work plan for quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) activities. QPE is one of HMT's 5 major activity areas.

The intent of the QPE work plan is to: (1) document and coordinate QPE activities within NOAA's Hydrometeorology community and partner organizations; (2) develop a research to operations (R20) framework to evaluate and improve QPE algorithms and advance the science of QPE that can eventually be implemented on a national scale; (3) provide a framework to design precipitation observing networks that take advantage of existing and future technologies. The plan outlines tasks and resource allocations required to complete QPE-related activities over the next 5 years.

As stated in the document, the mission of HMT's QPE activities is:

Working with partners across NOAA, establish a center of excellence to evaluate current QPE capabilities, test and implement new methodologies, and develop new techniques for determining the best possible QPE in complex terrain regions. Use the "lessons learned" to provide guidance on monitoring network design, data assimilation and modeling that can be applied CONUS to support NOAA's National Water Center (NWC) and National Weather Service (NWS) operations.

The NWC is intended to develop and provide new-generation and interoperable water information and services in support of the NWS, and other NOAA and federal agencies. To support the NWC mission, the best possible QPE is needed to serve as input forcing for hydrologic models to produce accurate and timely stream flow forecasts. This requirement serves as the primary focus for the HMT QPE activities described in the work plan. Although HMT activities have traditionally been concentrated in orographic regions, lessons learned from HMT QPE activities will be integrated into a national QPE system that can be applied nation-wide.

The QPE plan was developed with input from partners across NOAA, including the Earth System Research Laboratory, National Sever Storm Laboratory, National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service Center for Satellite Applications and Research, Office of Hydrologic Development, Monterey NWS Weather Forecast Office, Western Region Headquarters for the NWS, and the Climate Diagnostics Center as well as the academic community (Colorado State University).