Two Ways You Can Help NOAA Update and Modernize Precipitation Data
NOAA and NWS are seeking public comments on their proposals for updating the national precipitation data over the next several years. Both money and authorization for NOAA’s effort over the next four years was included in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Other legislation for longer authorization is currently pending in both the House and Senate through the FLOODS Act and the PRECIP Act.
National Precipitation Frequency Standard Proposed Update
Deadline: November 15, 2022
The NOAA/NWS Office of Water Prediction is updating the modeling framework of the NWS’s authoritative precipitation frequency analysis product (currently NOAA Atlas 14) which provides precipitation depth/intensity duration frequency information and derived complementary information.
This update will allow for the modeling of temporal non-stationarity and the integration of future climate projections. The update also will provide continuous spatial coverage for the United States and affiliated territories. NOAA has sought technical assistance regarding updating their methodology from a study conducted by three universities over the past three years. The study can be found here.
While the recommended methodology is fairly technical, the attempt is to recognize that basing future estimates of extreme precipitation on an entirely “stationary” climate is no longer an accurate assumption. The new methods will help capture changing climate signals with better, more reliable accuracy, which can continue to be updated and modified, based on experience and science improvements going forward.
The NWS is soliciting comments and feedback on this proposed update through November 15, 2022. The NWS Public Information Statement (PNS) with additional details on this update is available here. You can provide feedback through the NWS official survey.
Comments or questions on this product can be directed to NOAA at hdsc.questions@noaa.gov. Your support is appreciated and truly important in capturing public feedback on the proposed methodology. Thank you!
Call for Experts: Modernizing Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimation
Deadline: October 28, 2022
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene an ad hoc committee to consider approaches for estimating probable maximum precipitation (PMP) in a changing climate, with the goal of recommending an updated approach, appropriate for decision-maker needs. The study will be strongest with robust representation across sectors, disciplines, and backgrounds, from which to build a committee and community of experts that maximizes diversity in perspectives.
To learn more about this study, visit the project webpage.
The study will be carried out by a committee of approximately 10 volunteer experts in the fields of:
- Meteorology: dynamic and statistical
- Hydrometeorology
- Hydrology
- Atmospheric and climate science
- Statistics
- Weather and climate modeling
- Representation of private-sector stakeholders or users of PMP estimation information.
You are invited to submit nominations for committee members and/or reviewers for this study by October 28, 2022. NOTE: Membership in the NAS, NAE, or NAM is not required to submit nominations. Self-nominations are also accepted.
