GOESR3 Periodic Reporting
Project Team: CIRA, NWS/HPC,NWS/WDTB, NESDIS/OSPO, CIMH, UCR, EUMETSAT
Reporting Period:
February 2013 - June 2014
Team Lead:
Bernadette Connell (CIRA, CSU)
Team Members:
Team Collaborators: Mike Davison (NWS/HPC), Tony Mostek (NWS/WDTB),
Paul Seymour (NESDIS/OSPO/SPSD/DSB)
Kathy-Ann Caesar (CIMH Barbados), Vilma Castro (Costa Rica),
Luciane Veeck (CIRA/ WMO Technical Support Officer),
Volker Gaertner (EUMETSAT)
Project Title: National and International Training Development, Delivery, and Distribution and PCS
User Readiness
Project Number:
19 + 26
Executive Summary
Through the first long term part of this project, we continue to build on the framework of the
national VISIT and SHyMet training programs and international WMO Virtual Laboratory (VLab) training
activities, so that we can ensure that weather forecasters will be well prepared to deal with GOES-R
products (Baseline and Decision Aids) by the time GOES-R will be in orbit. This is being accomplished
in numerous ways: through contributions to the VISIT Blog, examples in training sessions, and
presentations. Training activities focus on the evaluation of training trends, expanded interaction with
our International partners, and dissemination of training materials through GEONETCast.
The VLab (http://vlab.wmo.int) falls under the guidance of the WMO Coordination Group for
Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) and it also receives direction from the WMO Expert Team on Satellite
Utilization and Products (ET-SUP). CGMS and ET-SUP have expressed deep appreciation for the
training and user preparedness efforts occurring in NOAA’s GOES-R Proving Ground activities.
Through the VLab and the WMO Technical Support Officer (TSO), we interact with WMO Satellite
Operators and Training Centers throughout the world and share expertise and training materials.
The GEONETCast Americas System is supported by NOAA. GEONETCast is a near real time,
global network of satellite-based data dissemination system designed to distribute space-based, airborne and in situ data, metadata and products to diverse communities. GEONETCast was developed
in support of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
Due to significant budget cuts, the VISIT program did not receive funding from the NWS the
past year. The VISIT program has provided the structure for virtual training, and the knowledge and
expertise of the trainers. The second part of this project “PCS User Readiness” ensures that the VISIT
structure as well as tracking metrics continue to support GOES-R training.
Milestones
National and International Training Development, Delivery, and Distribution
1. GOES- R image and product examples for various information outlets, and for the International
Focus Group of the Americas and Caribbean monthly virtual weather briefing sessions.
07/27/2016
GOES-R3 Status Report Template
NESDIS STAR GOES-R
2. Support for monthly international virtual Regional Focus Group sessions and virtual GOES-R
lectures.
3. GEONETCast Americas VLab Training Channel
4. Participation in quarterly virtual meetings of the WMO Virtual Laboratory Management Group for
Education in Satellite Meteorology and interaction with the VLab Technical Support Officer.
PCS User Readiness
5. Provide PG examples for the VISIT satellite chat and the CIRA PG Blog. The examples will
incorporate seasonal imagery and products that use real-time data (where applicable) (Note, this
supplements 1) above).
6. Develop and deliver educational material on utilization of new satellite products on AWIPS.
Potential topics: Synthetic Satellite Imagery, Orographic Rain Index, RGB examples for snow and
fires.
7. Assist with the development of virtual sessions from experts external to CIRA.
Accomplishments
1) GOES- R image and product examples for various information outlets, and for the International
Focus Group of the Americas and Caribbean monthly virtual weather briefing sessions.
And supplemental funding from 5) Provide PG examples for the VISIT satellite chat and the CIRA PG
Blog. The examples will incorporate seasonal imagery and products that use real-time data (where
applicable).
GOES-R image and product examples were presented at various monthly VISIT Satellite chat
sessions. These are coordinated with the VISIT team members at CIMSS. The recordings for the
sessions can be found here:
http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/visit/satellite_chat/
Topics covered relate to SRSOR, Air Quality, South Dakota blizzard, Northeast Severe Weather, Super
Typhoon Haiyan, Lake-effect snow, orographic cirrus, severe weather, detection of fog, smoke, dust,
snow with RGBs. The sessions are 30 minutes. The sessions often encourage further interactions:
echeanges of emails on helpfule materials, participation in other teletraining sessions, and requests for
products in the offices.
GOES-R image and product examples were posted to the VISIT Blog
http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/visit/blog/ These include 3 recent extensive entries on GOES14 SRSOR for severe weather– including videos for youtube, as well as a synthetic imagery
highlighting a mesovortex over Lake Ontario highlighting synthetic imagery, comparison of synthetic
imagery from 2 different models, and synthetic imagery application of a snow event.
GOES-R image and product examples were also posted to the Proving Ground Blog
http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/research/goes-r/proving_ground/blog/ These include SRSO for Severe
weather, and 3 extensive entries on dust detection, fog detection and orographic detection with
synthetic imagery, and detecting snow fro daytime snow RGBs..
One of the easiest GOES-R products to incorporate in to the WMO VLab Focus Group of the Americas
and the Caribbean is the dust RGB created from MSG imagery. The product is introduced in a session
and then used throughout the season. See the second item for more information on the sessions.
How to adapt current satellite information to benefit preparations was a theme in a presentation for the
10th International Conference on Creating Activities for Learning Meteorology (CALMet). B. Connell
(CIRA) prepared and virtually delivered a talk: “Adding the personal touch. A renewed look at
presentation, complicated information, and the audience”. The WMO TSO also collaborated in this
effort and assisted greatly with the on-site preparations.
07/27/2016
GOES-R3 Status Report Template
NESDIS STAR GOES-R
2) Support for monthly international virtual Regional Focus Group sessions and virtual GOES-R
lectures.
One of the mechanisms used to announce lectures and provide brief product examples to the
international community is the through the international virtual Regional Focus Group list and their
monthly Focus Group Sessions. The WMO Virtual Laboratory Regional Focus Group of the Americas
and Caribbean conducted monthly English and Spanish weather briefings (from February 2013 through
June 2014) through VISITview using GOES and POES satellite Imagery from CIRA
(http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/rmtc/focusgroup.asp ). We used GoToWebinar for voice over
the Internet. The participants from the U.S. included CIRA, the International Desk at NCEP, NWS
Training Division, UCAR/IA-NWS, and UCAR/COMET. Twenty-nine countries outside the US
participated: Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil,
Canada, Cayman, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ghana,
Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Niger, Panamá, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago,
Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. M. Davison at the NCEP International Desk led the discussion.
Participants offered comments for their regions and tended to also bring interesting questions to the
discussion. The number of countries participating each month ranged between 8 and 13 (average 10);
and the number of participants each month ranged between 16 and 51 (average 31).
The participants include researchers and students as well as forecasters and other trainers. Mike
Davison at NCEP International Desk led the discussions.
February 2014 was a milestone month for the group leading 10 years of monthly virtual sessions. Up to
February 2014, out of a total of 120 possible monthly sessions, we have only missed 5 months: 4 due
to leaders not being available and one because of technical problems. That is pretty darn good!
Figure 1. (left above) Number of countries participating each month in the online virtual discussion
sessions over the past 10 years.
Figure 2. (right above) Number of participants joining in each month in the online virtual discussion
sessions over the past 10 years.
3) GEONETCast Americas VLab Training Channel
B. Connell attended the NOAA 2013 Satellite Conference at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate
Prediction in College Park, Maryland on 8-12 April. She presented two posters “Training Videos
Through GEONETCast? What will they think of next!” and “Satellite Training Activities: What’s new and
what’s ongoing?”
B. Connell also participated in the WMO/NOAA Train the Trainers Workshop held 6-7 April in College
Park, MD in conjunction with the NOAA Satellite Conference. B. Connell gave a presentation on
07/27/2016
GOES-R3 Status Report Template
NESDIS STAR GOES-R
“GEONETCast Americas Training Channel: VLab Training”. The workshop focused on the many
capabilities of GEONETCast, including training.
Figure 3. Participants of the NOAA/WMO Train the Trainer Workshop in College Park Maryland in April 2013.
As a follow-up to the WMO NOAA Train the Trainer Workshop on GEONETCast, and in response to
WMO user surveys CIRA, NOAA, WMO, and the WMO Centers of Excellence in Costa Rica, Barbados,
Brazil, and Argentina hosted a virtual training on GEONETCast. We decided to shift focus from solely
sending training materials through GNC-A to include a focus on educating and extending the GNC-A
user base. This virtual training consisted of 3 sessions on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of December 2013.
Regions III and IV have a large percentage of Spanish speaking countries and we wanted to reach both
English and Spanish users, so the sessions were presented in both languages (for a total of 6
sessions). The goals of the training were: to make countries more aware of what is available through
GEONETCast, to expand the use of GEONETCast-Americas, and to start thinking about GOES-R. The
topics included an introduction to the capabilities of GEONETCast, disaster mitigation products,
software to view products, and an introduction to GOES-R.
The sessions drew a lot of interest as people from 29 countries participated: Argentina, Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras,
Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Switzerland, the USA, and Uruguay.
There were 111 individuals, which included speakers, organizers, and participants. PowerPoint
presentations and session recordings have been posted on the web pages.
http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/rmtc/geonetcast_event_en.asp A link to the Spanish sessions
can be found from this page.
GEONETCast is a great way to not only get instructional material to users, but also to provide products.
It is a low cost alternative to many users in countries that still do not have adequate internet access. It
is also a good backup for emergency preparedness. The lower bandwidth capability prohibits sending
high resolution type imagery, but potential products for users are those that are considered to meet the
9 GEO societal benefit areas. As a follow on GEONETCast Train the Trainer activities at the April 2013
NOAA Satellite Conference and the GEONETCast virtual event week on 3-5 December, 2013, a GNCA Coordination Group has been established by NOAA/NESDIS and NWS. B. Connell is a member of
the group.
As the GEONETCast Americas web page points out: “This user-driven, user-friendly and low-cost
information dissemination service aims to provide global information as a basis for sound decisionmaking in a number of critical areas, including public health, energy, agriculture, weather, water,
climate, natural disasters and eco-systems. Accessing and sharing such a range of vital data will yield
societal benefits through improved human health and well-being, environment management and
economic growth.” We plan to continue to incorporate this theme in our future training events.
07/27/2016
GOES-R3 Status Report Template
NESDIS STAR GOES-R
4) Participation in quarterly virtual meetings of the WMO Virtual Laboratory Management Group for
Education in Satellite Meteorology and interaction with the VLab Technical Support Officer.
B. Connell participated in the virtual meeting of the WMO Virtual Laboratory for Education and Satellite
Meteorology (VLab) Management Group on 4 March, 13 June and 9 October 2013, and 25 March
2014. The meetings were organized by the TSO and the meeting reports can be found in the WMO
VLab site http://www.wmo-sat.info/vlab/meeting-reports/
5) (combined with 1 above)
6) Develop and deliver educational material on utilization of new satellite products on AWIPS. Potential
topics: Synthetic Satellite Imagery, Orographic Rain Index, RGB examples for snow and fires.
Four sessions of the new 30-minute teletraining: “Identifying Snow with Daytime RGB Satellite
Products” were given during January and February 2014. A 25 minute recording of this session is also
available.
http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/visit/training_sessions/identifying_snow_with_daytime_rgb_sat
ellite_products
7) Assist with the development of virtual sessions from experts external to CIRA.
None during this time.
Additional Information
1. Interaction with operational partners –

via monthly VISIT satellite chat sessions
2. Conference/workshop participation –
07/27/2016
GOES-R3 Status Report Template
NESDIS STAR GOES-R
Bikos, D., Connell, B., Szoke, E., Bachmeier, S., Lindstrom, S., Mostek, A., DeMaria, M., 2013: The
SHyMet GOES-R Instruments and Products Training Course, and Other Related Satellite Training for
Operational Forecasting, 38th Annual Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, 12-17 October, 2013,
National Weather Association. Poster.
Connell, B., D. Bikos, E. Szoke, S. Bachmeier, S. Lindstrom, T. Mostek, M. Davison, K.-A. Caesar, V.
Castro, and L. Veeck, 2013: Satellite Training Activities: What’s new and what’s ongoing? 2013 NOAA
Satellite Conference, College Park, MD, 8-12 April, 2013. Poster http://www.goesr.gov/downloads/AMS/2014/posters/session02/692.pdf
Connell, B., Veeck, L., and Caesar, K-A, 2013: Adding the personal touch. A renewed look at
presentation, complicated information, and the audience. 10th International Conference on Creating
Activities for Learning Meteorology (CALMet), Toulouse, France, 26-30 August 2013. Virtual
presentation.
Connell, B., 2013: Introduction to GOES-R. GEONETCast Event Week. 3-5 December 2013. Virtual
Presentation. Presentation and recording can be found on the Thursday, 5 December session.
Rosario Alfaro translated and presented a Spanish version.
http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/rmtc/geonetcast_event_en.asp
Connell, B., D. Bikos, E. Szoke, S. Bachmeier, S. Lindstrom, A. Mostek, B. Motta, T. Schmit, M.
Davison, K. Caesar, V. Castro, L. Veeck, 2014: Satellite Training Activities: VISIT, SHyMet, and WMO
VLab. 10th Annual Symposium on New Generation Operational Environmental Satellite Systems at the
94th AMS Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, 2-6 February, 2014. Poster.
http://satelliteconferences.noaa.gov/2013/docs/Tuesday%20Poster%20Session%20Final%20Posters/T
72_NSC_April2013_T72_Connell_SatTrainingActivities_poster.pdf
Szoke, E., Bikos, D., Lindsey, D., Molenar, D., Gosden, H., Brummer, R., Miller, S., and DeMaria, M.,
2013: An overview of CIRA Proving Ground NWS interactions, 38th Annual Meeting, Charleston, South
Carolina, 14-18 October, 2013, National Weather Association. Poster and Talk.
Szoke, E., Bikos, D., Brummer, R., Gosden, H., Miller, S., DeMaria, M., Lindsey, D., Hillger, D.,
Seaman, C., and Molenar, D., 2014: More opportunities for forecaster interaction for future operational
satellite products – CIRA’s activities in the GOES-R and JPSS Proving Grounds, 94th AMS Annual
Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, 2-6 February, 2014, 4th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations.
Talk.
3. Outside project publicity – NA
4. Plans for operational transition - NA
5. Journal articles –NA
Key Graphics
07/27/2016
GOES-R3 Status Report Template
NESDIS STAR GOES-R