2015 AMS Annual Meeting

This Town Hall comprises two interconnected projects: the WMO/WWRP High-Impact Weather Project (HIWeather), and a new US initiative to develop a plan that integrates US interests in HIWeather with two other WMO/WWRP projects: the Polar Prediction and Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Prediction projects.  This Town Hall will provide an opportunity to find out more about the activities that are planned and to question those involved about how to get involved.

Despite dramatic improvements in forecast accuracy in the last decade, the global cost of high impact weather continues to grow at an alarming rate.  HIWeather will focus global research on those aspects of the weather enterprise, both science- and service-related, that currently inhibit effective responses to forecasts and warnings, especially with regard to the impacts of urban flooding, wildfires, local extreme winds, disruptive winter weather and extreme heat/air pollution in megacities. Working together on these problems will both accelerate progress and enable less developed nations to benefit.

In parallel, efforts have been underway since mid-2014 to engage the US community in the three aforementioned WMO/WWRP projects, and for participants to identify critical gaps, common scientific challenges and priorities.  The next stage in the US is to develop a coordinated community project plan.  In addition to introducing the structure for a US project plan, Town Hall participants are encouraged to provide feedback on the path forward, and contributions from the community to the drafting of the US project plan are encouraged.

For additional information, please contact Brian Golding ([email protected]) or Sharanya J. Majumdar ([email protected]).