The 208th R-CCS Cafe - part 2

The SCALE-LETKF is a regional ensemble data assimilation system that has been in development to provide high resolution convective scale modeling of severe rainfall systems. One of the primary capabilities of the SCALE-LETKF is the assimilation of reflectivity observations from advanced radar systems, including phased array weather radars (PAWR), that are capable of obtaining full-sky reflectivity and Doppler radial velocities observations at 100-m range resolution at up to 60-km in radius every 30 seconds and from satellite-based precipitation radar. In this talk we present on the work to improve convective-scale forecasting with the SCALE-LETKF and assimilation of PAWR observations, including the development to simultaneously assimilate dual PAWR datasets from two regional PAWR systems and development of the real time system to provide up-to-the-minute rain forecasts using the latest PAWR observations. We also present work to evaluate the potential impact of precipitation radar observations from a future geostationary satellite on typhoon forecasts.