NWC meteorologists discuss observations in the Hazardous Weather Testbed.
NOAA's Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) is a facility jointly managed by NSSL, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), and the NWS Oklahoma City/Norman Weather Forecast Office (OUN) within the National Weather Center building on the University of Oklahoma South Research Campus. The HWT is designed to accelerate the transition of promising new meteorological insights and technologies into advances in forecasting and warning for hazardous mesoscale weather events throughout the United States. The HWT facilities include a combined forecast and research area situated between the operations rooms of the SPC and OUN, and a nearby development laboratory. The facilities support enhanced collaboration between research scientists and operational weather forecasters on specific topics that are of mutual interest.
The HWT organizational structure is composed of two primary overlapping program areas, the Experimental Forecast Program and the Experimental Warning Program. The EFP focuses on application of cutting edge numerical weather prediction models to improve severe weather forecasts. The EWP tests research concepts and technology specifically aimed at short-fused warnings of severe convective weather.
A key NWS strategic goal is to extend warning lead times under the concept of "warn-on-Forecast" through the development and application of convection-allowing numerical models to extend short-term predictability of hazardous convective weather. This provides a natural overlap between the EFP and EWP activities. As the distinction between warnings and short-term forecasts of convective weather gradually diminishes, the degree of overlap is expected to increase. Both programs reside beneath the overarching HWT organization with a focus on national hazardous weather needs.
The cornerstone of the testbed is the annual NOAA HWT Spring Experiment that attracts about 100 researchers and forecasters to Norman each year. The premise of each Spring Experiment and related activities is to provide forecasters with a first-hand look at the latest research concepts and products, while immersing research scientists in the challenges, needs, and constraints of front-line forecasters. In practice, this program gives forecasters direct access to the latest research developments while imparting scientists with the knowledge to formulate research strategies that will have practical benefits. The end result is not only better severe-weather forecasts, but important contributions to the scientific literature as well.
Current programs
The Experimental Forecast Program transitioning severe weather and numerical modeling research to improve the Storm Prediction Center's (SPC) watches and outlooks of hazardous convective weather.
The Experimental Warning Program—transitioning severe weather research and technology to improve the Weather Forecast Office's (WFO) severe weather warnings for hail, wind, and tornadoes.
GOES-R Satellite Proving Ground 
—evaluation and transition to forecast operations of emerging geostationary-satellite-data diagnostics in preparation for the next generation of GOES satellites.
Future programs
Hydrometeorology—transitioning research and technology to improve the Weather Forecast Office's (WFO) and River Forecast Center's (RFC) capability to provide timely and accurate flood forecast and warning information.
Social Science Woven Into Meteorology (SSWIM) —innovative applications of social science techniques in order to make the transition to operations even more socially relevant.
Background
Collaboration between NSSL and the local operational forecasting community dates back to the 1980s when the Experimental Forecast Facility was created jointly by NSSL, the Norman National Weather Service Forecast Office, and the WSR-88D Radar Operations Center. Scientists and forecasters at this facility focused on developing new applications from operational data sets and transferring new technologies from research into forecast operations. They played a central role in data collection and forecasting for multiple field programs in the late 80s and early 90s.
After the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) moved its operations to the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) facility in 1997, the mutual interests of forecasters from the SPC, researchers from NSSL, and collocated joint research partners from the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) inspired the formation of the current NOAA HWT. The testbed's activities have been varied, ranging from daily map discussions involving imminent severe weather to loosely-related research projects involving 2–3 collaborators to periodic intensive collaboration periods.
Key Personnel
Oversight of the HWT is provided by the Russ Schneider (SPC), Mike Foster (Norman WFO), and Steve Koch(NSSL).
The EWP is managed by David Andra (Norman WFO) and Travis Smith (NSSL). Additional support is provided by Greg Stumpf (CIMMS/NWS/MDL) and Darrel Kingfield (NSSL).
The EFP is managed by Steve Weiss (SPC) and Jack Kain (NSSL). Additional support is provided by Mike Coniglio (NSSL) and Patrick Marsh (NSSL).
