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Satellite ultraspectral infrared sensors provide key data records essential for weather forecasting and climate change science. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Soumi NPP) satellite Environmental Data Records (EDRs) are retrieved from calibrated ultraspectral radiance or Sensor Data Records (SDRs). Understanding the accuracy of retrieved EDRs is critical. The second Suomi NPP Calibration/Validation field campaign was conducted during March 2015 with flights over Greenland. The NASA high-altitude ER-2 aircraft carrying ultraspectral interferometer sounders such as the National Airborne Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) flew under the Suomi NPP satellite that carries the Crosstrack Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). Herein we inter-compare the EDRs produced from different retrieval algorithms employed on these satellite and aircraft campaign data. The available radiosonde measurements together with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses are used to assess atmospheric temperature and moisture retrievals from the aircraft and satellite platforms. Preliminary results of this experiment under a winter, Arctic environment are presented.

Satellite ultraspectral infrared sensors provide key data records essential for weather forecasting and climate change science. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite Environmental Data Record (EDR) is retrieved from calibrated ultraspectral radiance so called Sensor Data Record (SDR). It is critical to understand the accuracy of retrieved EDRs, which mainly depends on SDR accuracy (e.g., instrument random noise and absolute accuracy), an ill-posed retrieval system, and radiative transfer model errors. There are few approaches to validate EDR products, e.g., some common methods are to rely on radiosonde measurements, ground-based measurements, and dedicated aircraft campaign providing in-situ measurements of atmosphere and/or employing similar ultraspectral interferometer sounders. Ultraspectral interferometer sounder aboard aircraft measures SDR to retrieve EDR, which is often used to validate satellite measurements of SDR and EDR. The SNPP Calibration/Validation Campaign was conducted during May 2013. The NASA high-altitude aircraft ER-2 that carried ultraspectral interferometer sounders such as the NASA Atmospheric Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) flew under the SNPP satellite that carries the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS). Here we inter-compare the EDRs produced with different retrieval algorithms from SDRs measured by the sensors from satellite and aircraft. The available dropsonde and radiosonde measurements together with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis were also used to draw the conclusion from this experiment.

Hurricane Arthur (2014) was an early season hurricane that had its roots in a convective complex in the Southern Plains of the U.S. As the complex moved into northern Texas, a Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV) formed and drifted towards the east of the southern U.S. for a few days before emerging over the southwest Atlantic near South Carolina. The MCV drifted south and slowly acquired tropical characteristics, eventually becoming a Category 2 hurricane that would affect much of eastern North Carolina prior to the 4th of July holiday weekend. Arthur continued up the coast, brushing portions of southeast New England and merged with an upper-level low, completing a full tropical to extratropical-transition in the process, producing damaging wind gusts in portions of the Canadian Maritimes. As part of the GOES-R and JPSS Satellite Proving Grounds, multiple proxy and operational products were available to analyze and forecast this complex evolution. The Storm Prediction Center had products available to monitor the initial severe thunderstorm aspect, while the National Hurricane Center and Ocean Prediction Center were able to monitor the tropical and extratropical transition of Arthur using various convective and red, green, blue (RGB) products that have been introduced in recent years. This paper will discuss Arthur's evolution through the eyes of the various Satellite Proving Ground demonstrations.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites R-Series (GOES-R) and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Satellite Proving Grounds have introduced multiple proxy and operational products into operations over the last few years. Some of these products have proven to be useful in current operations at various National Weather Service (NWS) offices and national centers as a first look at future satellite capabilities. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) and the NASA Hurricane and Severe Storms Sentinel (HS3) field campaign have had access to a few of these products to assist in monitoring extratropical transitions of hurricanes. The red, green, blue (RGB) Air Mass product provides forecasters with an enhanced view of various air masses in one complete image to help differentiate between possible stratospheric/tropospheric interactions, moist tropical air masses, and cool, continental/maritime air masses. As a compliment to this product, a new Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) Ozone product was introduced in the past year to assist in diagnosing the dry air intrusions seen in the RGB Air Mass product. Finally, a lightning density product was introduced to forecasters as a precursor to the new Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) that will be housed on GOES-R, to monitor the most active regions of convection, which might indicate a disruption in the tropical environment and even signal the onset of extratropical transition. This presentation will focus on a few case studies that exhibit extratropical transition and point out the usefulness of these new satellite techniques in aiding forecasters forecast these challenging events.

This paper presents the standard and research products from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and their current accuracies as demonstrated through validation efforts. It also summarizes ongoing research using AIRS data for weather prediction and improving climate models.

This slide presentation makes the case for the retrieval of data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU). AIRS only retrieval is not only a risk reduction for failure of AMSU, but also important because NWP centers are reluctant to assimilate AMSU twice.