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HMT-PSD scientists participate in NCEP/WPC 2014 Flash Flood and Intense Rainfall (FFaIR) Experiment

8 August 2014

Dr. Kelly Mahoney and Ellen Sukovich, HMT researchers from the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory's Physical Sciences Division, visited the National Center for Environmental Prediction's (NCEP) Weather Prediction Center (WPC) in College Park, MD in July 2014 to participate in the 2014 Flash Flood and Intense Rainfall (FFaIR) Experiment.

Hosted by HMT-WPC scientists, Faye Barthold and Tom Workoff, the FFaIR Experiment is a forecasting exercise that brings together WPC, RFC, and WFO forecasters, research meteorologists, and other operational forecasters to participate in both real-time forecasting and subjective evaluation activities to help support improvements to flash flood forecasting.

Building on the inaugural 2013 FFaIR Experiment, the 2014 FFaIR Experiment focused primarily on the use of high resolution models to improve flash flood forecasts. In addition, this year’s FFaIR experiment was held concurrently with an experimental flash flood forecasting exercise hosted by the Hazardous Weather Testbed’s (HWT) Experimental Warning Program to simulate the flow of information from national forecast centers to local forecast offices. While participants in the FFaIR experiment focused on issuing flash flood forecasts for the next 1-24 hours, participants at the HWT focused on issuing experimental flash flood watches and warnings during the 0-6 hr period based upon FFaIR guidance.

Contact: Ellen Sukovich


Participants in the FFaIR Experiment work as a team to develop experimental flash flood forecasts.
Participants in the FFaIR Experiment work as a team to develop experimental flash flood forecasts.