USDA Products and Perspectives OFCM – Phased Array Radar Meeting

March 20-21, 2007Silver Spring, MD

By:Eric Luebehusen,

Agricultural Meteorologist

USDA – Office of the Chief EconomistWorld Agricultural Outlook BoardJoint Agricultural Weather Facility

Background:

Background:

Background:

Office of the Chief EconomistOffice of the Chief Economist

Background:

Office of the Chief Economist

(World Agricultural Outlook Board)

Office of the Chief Economist

Background:

Office of the Chief Economist

· Economists/Commodity Analysts

(World Agricultural Outlook Board)

Office of the Chief Economist

Background:

Office of the Chief Economist

Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)

· 7 Meteorologists· Economists/Commodity Analysts

(World Agricultural Outlook Board)

Office of the Chief Economist

Background:

Office of the Chief Economist

Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)

· 7 Meteorologists· Economists/Commodity Analysts

(World Agricultural Outlook Board)

Office of the Chief Economist

· 2 Meteorologists, 1 Student Intern

Background:

Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)

Background:

Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)

• Partnership began in 1940 when the Weather Bureau was transferred from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the Department of Commerce (DOC).

• Agreement was formalized in 1958

• JAWF was created in the late 1970’s as a result of former USSR crop failures and subsequent “Great Grain Robbery”. Staffed by meteorologists from USDA and DOC to provide early alert to potential problem areas.

• Located at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)

Primary Responsibility:

Primary Responsibility:

Primary Responsibility:

Support Economists in Crop Assessment Decision Making,

ultimately helping them develop their Commodity Forecasts

(a.k.a. WASDE)

Primary Responsibility:

Primary Responsibility:

Primary Responsibility:

WASDE Support (Wx):

WASDE Support (Wx):

Meteorologists are called upon to provide detailed Weather-Crop assessments prior to

Lock-Up, and radar plays an important role…

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Daily Wx Briefings incorporate current composites and loops; In this case (last Tues),

monitoring the potential for flood-related fieldwork delays in Texas.

Keeping abreast of current conditions via radar at the highest-possible resolution is key to USDA/WAOB operations.

Radar data web sites provide a highly-valued service to USDA staff.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

60-Day Total Pcp

USDA Meteorologists rely heavily on “as-is” products such as these 60-Day precipitation graphics provided by the NWS’s Southern

Region Headquarters Precipitation Analysis Products.

USDA Meteorologists rely heavily on “as-is” products such as these 60-Day precipitation graphics provided by the NWS’s Southern

Region Headquarters Precipitation Analysis Products.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

60-Day PNP

Radar data are also used track tropical cyclones in key agricultural areas…

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

60-Day PNP

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

“Static” imagery provide a good first-guess of potential crop impacts.

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Here, Wilma crosses srn Florida during October, 2005.

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

But there is a need to do more than just “look” at imagery, which is where GIS comes in to play...

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

But there is a need to do more than just “look” at imagery, which is where GIS comes in to play...

Radar Products Used @ JAWF

Geo-referenced radar data allowed USDA staff to assess problem areas and potential

crop impacts. Here, the track of the storm’s center likely caused lodging of mature, unharvested sugarcane.

In addition, GIS-ready data allow for simple calculations (such as this summation) to further highlight potential

problem areas.

In many cases, radar data fills in the gaps between station

observations. In this case, it provided evidence of what

“didn’t” happen.

WASDE Support (Wx):

JAWF has become very much GIS-Driven, and the more products

which are GIS ready, the better!

WASDE Support (Wx):

Products like these are used frequently by top-level USDA staff.

SummaryReal-time data are

used daily, in briefings given by NWS staff

and by USDA meteorologists.

SummaryArchives of static imagery are useful for preliminary

assessments .

Summary

Archives of geo-referenced imagery are even more useful for crop-weather

assessments .

SummaryRadar products, often

enhanced and customized in-house, are a key

component in many of the graphics presented to

USDA upper-level management.