HRD scientists participate in 25th AVAPS Users Group Meeting – Hurricane Research Division

Worldwide users of Airborne Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System (AVAPS) gathered this past week in Boulder, Colorado, for their 25th annual group meeting. AVAPS is the over-arching system for dropwindsonde and other profiling systems used by numerous agencies around the world. Users meet to exchange important updates and improvements to AVAPS, share ideas and best practices, and communicate the important research and operational uses of the system.

HRD scientists presented two talks at the meeting. Kathryn Sellwood detailed dropwindsonde activities at HRD since the last meeting, including operational and research flights conducted by NOAA and the Air Force during the 2022 hurricane season, studies on improvements to computer model forecasts due to the inclusion of dropwindsonde data, improvements to calibration and validation of other instruments with dropwindsonde data, and improved understanding of tropical cyclone structure using the data.

Joe Cione presented an update on small Uncrewed Aerial Systems in operations during the 2022 hurricane season and plans for next season.

The slide decks for both talks can be found here. For more information, contact aoml.communications@noaa.gov.