2026 AR Recon workshop and 2nd Observational campaigns workshop for better weather forecasts
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2026 AR Recon workshop
Agenda times automatically adjust to the selected time zone
| Monday, 29 June 2026 | Speaker(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | ||
| 09:00 – 09:20 | Arrival and registration | |
| 09:20 – 09:25 | Housekeeping |
David Lavers (ECMWF)
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| 09:25 – 09:30 |
Welcome
Video recording |
Florian Pappenberger (ECMWF)
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Session 1: AR Recon Operations
Moderator: Jackson Ludtke (CW3E)
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| 09:30 – 10:00 |
AR Recon Overview
Presentation slides Video recording |
Marty Ralph (CW3E/SIO/UCSD)
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| 10:00 – 10:30 |
53 WRS Perspective on Atmospheric River Reconnaissance AR Recon: Past, Present, and Future Operations
Presentation slides Video recording |
Ryan Rickert (53 WRS Hurricane Hunters)
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| 10:30 – 10:45 |
Enhancing Global Weather Prediction: Operational Milestones, Instrumentation and Challenges of the NOAA Atmospheric Rivers Reconnaissance Effort
Presentation slides Video recording |
Nikki Hathaway (NOAA AOC)
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| 10:45 – 11:00 |
Fly NOAA: A Brief Overview
Presentation slides Video recording |
Priti Bhatnagar (NOAA OMAO)
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| 11:00 – 11:30 | Group photo and coffee break | |
| 11:30 – 12:00 |
Sampling Synoptic Scale Patterns in the Western Hemisphere with Airborne Radio Occultation Observations during GARRP 2026
Presentation slides Video recording |
Noah Barton (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
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| 12:00 – 12:30 |
Targeted observations of Atmospheric Rivers with surface drifters
Virtual presentation Presentation slides Video recording |
Martha Schonau (Lagrangian Drifter Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
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| 12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch break | |
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Session 2: AR Recon Operations
Moderator: Shawn Roj (CW3E)
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| 14:00 – 14:30 |
Observed Air–Sea Interaction During Atmospheric River Events in the Central Pacific
Presentation slides Video recording |
J. Thomas Farrar (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
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| 14:30 – 15:00 |
Evolution of Center for Western Weather and Water Extreme’s Land-Based Observing Efforts and Coordination with Atmospheric River Reconnaissance
Presentation slides Video recording |
Subin Yoon (CW3E/SIO/UCSD)
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| 15:00 – 15:30 |
AR Recon’s “Final Mile”: Mobile Radar Platforms and the RAPID-FIRE Field Campaign
Virtual presentation Presentation slides Video recording |
Jonathan Rutz (CW3E/SIO/UCSD)
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| 15:30 – 16:00 | Coffee break | |
| 16:00 – 16:30 |
Observing Atmospheric Rivers with NASA's Current and Next Generation Satellite Missions
Presentation slides Video recording |
Derek Posselt (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)
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| 16:30 – 16:45 | Poster introductions | |
| 16:45 – 18:15 | Icebreaker and poster session | |
2026 AR Recon workshop
Agenda times automatically adjust to the selected time zone
| Tuesday, 30 June 2026 | Speaker(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | ||
| 09:15 – 09:30 |
Welcome to Day 2
Video recording |
Anna Wilson (University of California San Diego)
Marty Ralph (CW3E/SIO/UCSD)
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Session 3: Modelling, DA and Impact Studies
Moderator: Jeri Wilcox (Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes) |
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| 09:30 – 09:50 |
Impact of AR Recon (and GARRP) Observations on NCEP Operational GFS Forecasts
Presentation slides Video recording |
Vijay Tallapragada (NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC)
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| 09:50 – 10:10 |
AR-AFSv2: Enhancing Near-Real-Time Atmospheric River Forecasts for the 2025–2026 Winter Season in the US West Coast
Virtual presentation Presentation slides Video recording |
Keqin Wu (Lynker at ECM/NCEP/NOAA)
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| 10:10 – 10:30 |
Mediterranean Extreme Events Experiment (M3E) and Storm Harry
Presentation slides Video recording |
David Lavers (ECMWF)
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| 10:30 – 10:50 |
Tropical and Extratropical Pacific Buoy Surface Pressure Observation Impacts
Video recording |
Carolyn Reynolds (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory)
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| 10:50 – 11:00 |
Assessing the Impact of WindBorne Balloons on the February 2026 AR and East Coast Blizzard through Data Denial Experiments
Presentation slides Video recording |
Tomer Burg (WindBorne Systems)
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| 11:10 – 11:30 | Coffee break | |
| 11:30 – 11:50 |
Evaluation of 2026 AR Recon Observations for the Analysis and Forecasting of Atmospheric Rivers and Downstream Winter Storms Using MPAS-JEDI
Virtual presentation Presentation slides Video recording |
Minghua Zheng (UC San Diego)
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| 11:50 – 12:10 |
Assessing the Impacts of Airborne Radio Occultation Assimilation in AR Recon 2025 and Its Interactions with Other Observations in MPAS-JEDI
Presentation slides Video recording |
Nghi Do (UC San Diego)
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| 12:10 – 12:30 |
Impact of 2D ROPP Forward Operators and Airborne Radio Occultation Assimilation on Global Numerical Weather Prediction
Virtual presentation Presentation slides Video recording |
Hui Christophersen (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory)
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| 12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch break | |
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Session 4: Science Advances
Moderator: Samuel Bartlett (Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes) |
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| 14:00 – 14:20 |
Dynamically Linking Two High-Impact Atmospheric River Events
Presentation slides Video recording |
James Doyle (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory)
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| 14:20 – 14:40 |
Taking Hyperspectral Data Inversion and Assimilation to a new Limit
Presentation slides Video recording |
Katerina Giamalaki (University of Hawaii at Manoa)
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| 14:40 – 15:00 |
The Anti-AR of March 2026: Dynamics Leading to Extreme Heat over the Western U.S.
Presentation slides Video recording |
Chris Davis (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
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| 15:00 – 15:20 |
Investigating the Impact of Numerical Model Uncertainty in the Marine Boundary Layer on the Predictability of Atmospheric Rivers and Onshore Precipitation
Presentation slides Video recording |
Kevin Lupo (CW3E/SIO/UCSD)
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| 15:20 – 15:40 |
West-WRF Physics and AI: CW3E's Latest Developments for the Prediction of Atmospheric Rivers and Extreme Events
Presentation slides Video recording |
Luca Delle Monache (CW3E/SIO/UCSD)
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| 15:40 – 16:00 | Coffee break | |
| 16:00 – 17:00 |
Facilitated Group Discussion - Future of AR Recon
Video recording |
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2nd Observational campaigns workshop for better weather forecasts
Agenda times automatically adjust to the selected time zone
| Wednesday, 1 July 2026 | Speaker(s) | |
|---|---|---|
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Morning session 1
Chair: David Lavers (ECMWF)
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| 09:00 – 09:05 |
Opening remarks
Video recording |
Stephen English (ECMWF)
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| 09:05 – 09:30 |
Introduction
Presentation slides |
Linus Magnusson (ECMWF)
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| 09:30 – 10:00 |
The THORPEX Legacy: Achievements and lessons for the future from 10 years of THORPEX observational campaigns
Presentation slides Video recording |
David Richardson (ECMWF)
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| 10:00 – 10:30 |
Meteorological Linkages Between the Field Campaigns of January-February 2026
Presentation slides Video recording |
Chris Davis (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
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| 10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee break | |
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Morning session 2
Chair: David Lavers (ECMWF) |
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| 11:00 – 11:30 |
The Global Atmospheric River Reconnaissance Program
Presentation slides Video recording |
Marty Ralph (CW3E/SIO/UCSD)
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| 11:30 – 12:00 |
Missing pieces in a weather forecasting puzzle?
Presentation slides Video recording |
Richard Forbes (ECMWF)
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| 12:00 – 12:20 |
Observations distinguishing processes affecting weather system dynamics
Presentation slides Video recording |
John Methven (University of Reading)
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| 12:20 – 12:40 |
Airborne campaigns for better understanding Arctic amplification
Presentation slides Video recording |
Susanne Crewell (University of Cologne)
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| 12:40 – 13:00 |
SvalMIZ field campaigns for coupled NWP evaluation
Presentation slides Video recording |
Sarah Keeley (ECMWF)
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| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch break | |
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Afternoon session 1
Chair: Magnus Lindskog (ECMWF)
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| 14:00 – 14:20 |
Observing high-impact winter cyclones with coordinated multi-platform measurements during NAWDIC
Presentation slides Video recording |
Bastian Kirsch (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
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| 14:20 – 14:40 |
NASA’s NURTURE Field Campaign: High-Resolution Observations of the Atmospheric Dynamics Resulting in High-Impact Weather
Presentation slides Video recording |
Steven Cavallo (University of Oklahoma)
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| 14:40 – 15:00 |
The TEAMx Observational Campaign
Presentation slides Video recording |
Mathias Rotach (University of Innsbruck)
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| 15:00 – 15:20 |
The Tropical Pacific Observing System (TPOS) Equatorial Pacific Experiment (TEPEX): Bridging Tropical Air-Sea Coupling and Global Forecast Accuracy
Presentation slides Video recording |
Jose Algarin (NOAA Climate Program Office)
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| 15:20 – 15:50 | Coffee break | |
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Afternoon session 2
Chair: Kristian Mogensen (ECMWF)
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| 15:50 – 16:10 |
Atmospheric River Dropsonde Observations During the NAWDIC Campaign
Presentation slides Video recording |
Magdalena Kracheletz (KIT)
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| 16:10 – 16:30 |
WindBorne Atlas: A Global Sounding Balloon Constellation
Presentation slides Video recording |
Todd Huchinson (WindBorne Systems)
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| 16:30 – 17:30 | Group photo and poster session | |
2nd Observational campaigns workshop for better weather forecasts
Agenda times automatically adjust to the selected time zone
| Thursday, 2 July 2026 | Speaker(s) | |
|---|---|---|
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Morning Session 1
Chair: Linus Magnusson (ECMWF)
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| 09:00 – 09:20 |
GTS to WIS2.0 data acquisition migration at ECWMF
Presentation slides Video recording |
Cristiano Zanna (ECMWF)
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| 09:20 – 09:40 |
Merged Observatory Data Files to support model validation and development
Virtual presentation Presentation slides Video recording |
Roberta Pirazzini (Finnish Meteorological Institute)
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| 09:40 – 10:20 |
Mapping campaigns - followed by discussion on data sharing after campaigns
Presentation slides Video recording |
Linus Magnusson (ECMWF)
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| 10:20 – 10:50 | Coffee break | |
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Morning session 2
Chair: Alexandre Ramos (KIT) |
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| 10:50 – 11:10 |
Evaluation of the possible improvements of NWP products with the integration of observational data from dropsondes released from stratospheric platforms.
Presentation slides Video recording |
Diana Islas Flores (University of Reading)
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| 11:10 – 11:30 |
Quality and use of UAS observations (Bäver project - Sweden)
Presentation slides Video recording |
Jose Faundez Alarcon (SMHI)
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| 11:30 – 11:50 |
Drifting buoys data denial studies and impact of field campaign data
Presentation slides Video recording |
Magnus Lindskog (ECMWF)
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| 11:50 – 12:10 |
Weather forecasting during Arctic expeditions: Experiences from ARTofMELT
Presentation slides Video recording |
Michael Tjernström (Stockholm University)
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| 12:10 – 12:30 |
Observation influence in convective-scale data assimilation: Reanalysis and PAI diagnostics for the Swabian MOSES 2023 campaign in southwest Germany
Presentation slides Video recording |
Maurus Borne (KIT)
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| 12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch break | |
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Afternoon session 1
Chair: Luise Schulte (ECMWF)
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| 14:00 – 14:20 |
Improving mountain weather forecasts using TEAMx-UK observations
Presentation slides Video recording |
Helen Dacre (University of Reading)
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| 14:20 – 14:40 |
FESSTVaL five years after: Insights from the field experiment on sub-mesoscale spatio-temporal variability in Lindenberg
Presentation slides Video recording |
Bastian Kirsch (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
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| 14:40 – 15:00 |
Validation of vertical moisture structure in cold sectors of extratropical cyclones based on airborne lidar observations obtained during the NAWDIC campaign
Presentation slides Video recording |
Annabell Weber (DLR)
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| 15:00 – 15:20 |
Spaceborne radar and lidar: from model evaluation to assimilation
Presentation slides Video recording |
Robin Hogan (ECMWF)
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| 15:20 – 15:50 | Coffee break | |
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Afternoon session 2
Chair: Annelize Van Niekerk (ECMWF) |
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| 15:50 – 16:10 |
Validation of ECMWF forecasts of the midlatitude waveguide nearby divergence using AR Recon dropwindsondes
Presentation slides Video recording |
Ryan Torn (University at Albany, SUNY)
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| 16:10 – 16:30 |
Evaluating the lower stratospheric moist bias using airborne lidar and radiosonde observations
Presentation slides Video recording |
Andreas Schäfler (DLR)
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| 16:30 – 16:50 |
Using the Atmosphere-Ocean Single-Column Model (AOSCM) with HALO-AC3 and other observational campaigns to understand model representation of warm and moist air intrusions to the Arctic
Presentation slides Video recording |
Gunilla Svensson (Stockholm University)
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| 16:50 – 17:10 |
Towards improving Arctic liquid cloud representation in the ECMWF model using MOSAiC observations
Presentation slides Video recording |
Luise Schulte (ECMWF Visiting Scientist)
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| Workshop dinner | ||
| 17:30 – 18:00 | Pre-dinner drinks | |
| 18:00 – 20:00 |
Dinner
ECMWF restaurant |
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2nd Observational campaigns workshop for better weather forecasts
Agenda times automatically adjust to the selected time zone
| Friday, 3 July 2026 | Speaker(s) | |
|---|---|---|
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Morning session
Chair: Richard Forbes (ECMWF)
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| 09:20 – 09:40 |
Machine Learning Forecast Sensitivity
Presentation slides Video recording |
James Doyle (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory)
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| 09:40 – 10:00 |
Observational campaigns in the age of AI: introducing ORCAS
Virtual presentation Presentation slides Video recording |
Clare Eayrs (New York University)
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| 10:00 – 10:20 |
The Need for an Integrated, Multi-Scale Observational and Modeling Initiative to Improve Process Understanding of the Monsoon in Semi-arid Regions
Presentation slides Video recording |
Bart Geerts (University of Wyoming)
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| 10:20 – 10:50 | Coffee break | |
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Closing session
Chair: David Lavers (ECMWF) |
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| 10:50 – 11:10 |
Field campaign data in observation-driven AI weather prediction: opportunities and challenges
Presentation slides Video recording |
Peter Lean (ECMWF)
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| 11:10 – 12:10 |
Panel discussion
Gunilla Svensson (Stockholm University) Chris Davis (University of Massachusetts Amherst, NSF NCAR) Andreas Schaefler (German Aerospace Center - DLR) Richard Forbes (ECMWF) Luca Delle Monache (CW3E/SIO/UCSD) Video recording |
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| 12:10 – 12:30 |
Wrap-up
Presentation slides Video recording |
David Lavers (ECMWF)
Linus Magnusson (ECMWF)
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| Lunch | ||