Since its inception, the DTC has been conducting evaluations of innovations to inform the advancement of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) infrastructure. These evaluations explore metrics focused on the parameters most critical to USAF operations (e.g., clouds, aerosols, and visibility) and the use of new truth datasets. Given the USAF supports a vast profile of operational forecasting needs and, therefore, requires skillful numerical guidance for a broad spectrum of weather and forecasting applications, the DTC, with expertise in verification and validation exercises, fills the role of assisting the USAF in evaluating everything from routine weather to high impact events that occur globally, often over data sparse regions. New METplus capabilities developed to support evaluations requested by the USAF are made available to the broader community through METplus software releases. Over the years, these evaluations have touched on cloud and dust evaluations, convective-scale forecasts and veracity testing of new weather products. Topics on the horizon may include probabilistic post-processing products, global cloud verification, high altitude verification of the stratosphere, icing and turbulence products, aerosols and land surface models.
Sponsors: U. S. Air Force
