CW3E Members Attend the 2024 Atmospheric River Reconnaissance Workshop at NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, MD

November 18, 2024

The 2024 Atmospheric River Reconnaissance (AR Recon) Workshop took place at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, MD, from October 22-24, 2024. This event brought together AR Recon participants and experts to discuss recent advancements, coordination of future efforts, and methods to enhance collaborative research on atmospheric rivers.

The three-day event featured Ken Graham, NWS director, who delivered a keynote address highlighting the importance of atmospheric river research, observational data, and the collaborative efforts required to advance this field. The workshop included participation from various partners, including Lagrangian Drifter Laboratory, NAWDIC-AR Recon, and USACE FIRO partners, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the event, and showcased AR Recon’s recent endorsement from the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP)
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Key Highlights:

  • Advancements in Atmospheric River Research: The three-day workshop featured presentations, panel discussions, and poster sessions featuring the latest findings in atmospheric river studies, including new methodologies and technologies.
  • Data Collection Techniques: Participants discussed innovations in data collection, such as the use of Global Sounding Balloons (Windborne Systems) and Airborne Radio Occultation (ARO, Scripps PI Jennifer Haase) to improve atmospheric observations.
  • Collaborative Efforts: Emphasis was placed on the Research And Operations Partnership (RAOP) approach, which aims to improve predictions of land-falling atmospheric rivers in the U.S. through enhanced collaboration between research and operational communities.
  • Expansion of Operations: The workshop highlighted the geographic expansion of AR Recon operations, including new flight campaigns out of Guam in early 2024, and plans for Pacific (NE and NW) and Atlantic reconnaissance missions.
  • Panel Discussions: Each panel discussion focused on different aspects of atmospheric river research, data collection techniques, and collaborative efforts to improve weather forecasting and water management.

Workshop Goals:

  • Impact Assessment: Documenting the impacts of AR Recon data on weather forecasting and water management.
  • Operational Strategies: Reviewing and refining strategies for operational sampling, data collection, and dissemination.
  • Future Research Directions: Guiding future research efforts, including coordinated data impact studies and exploration of campaign expansion.

Agenda Highlights:

  • Day 1: Opening remarks, presentations on recent advancements in atmospheric river research, and sessions on data collection techniques.
  • Day 2: Workshops on data assimilation and metric development, followed by breakout sessions for RAOP working groups.
  • Day 3: Presentations on the impact assessment of AR Recon data, discussions on future research directions, and closing sessions focusing on operational strategies and collaborative efforts.