Module Summary

This second POES training module has served as an introduction to the many unique capabilities offered by microwave sensing and POES microwave products. POES microwave instruments can provide global meteorological information under almost any weather conditions. Parameters such as total precipitable water, rain rate, and ocean surface wind speed may initially prove the most popular for short-term weather forecasts where conventional observations are sparse. However, many other parameters ranging from snow and sea ice to soil moisture are available and in use by various monitoring agencies around the world. Improvements in the processing and access to microwave products has begun to stimulate an interest, and will help to increase the integrated use of POES data by greater numbers of weather forecasters throughout the U.S.

The major components of this module include:

The next module will include information on visible and infrared imaging capabilities of the NOAA AVHRR instrument while focusing on operational forecasting. It will present weather scenarios or event-based overviews of how visible, infrared, and particularly microwave products can be used operationally to improve analyses and short-term forecasts of significant weather events. POES products will be examined in the context of other satellite and conventional data sources in an AWIPS-like environment to emphasize the benefits of integrating information in real time.