SPENES Retirement Information

The NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) is considering the retirement of the Satellite Precipitation Guidance Message Product (SPENES) with partial replacement by the WPC Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion. This provides a single source of centralized guidance on flash flood threats to assure consistent message delivery. As part of the National Precipitation Prediction Unit (NPPU), SAB has provided satellite support for the last thirty years to the NCEP Weather Prediction Center (WPC) for Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts and for the more recent Mesoscale Precipitation Discussions. SAB is planning to continue satellite support to WPC. Satellite-based information from SAB will be integrated by WPC’s forecasters into the MPDs (Mesoscale Precipitation Discussions). More information about the MPD is available at: http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/metwatch/metwatch_mpd.php
A brief notice of the possible retirement will also occasionally be distributed through the SPENES product on AWIPS.

• If the SPENES is retired, centralized heavy precipitation guidance to Honolulu WFO and San Juan WFO would be limited to products from WPC
• For West Coast offices, the loss of the SPENES product and more limited 12 Planet coordination will mean that there will no longer be stand-alone satellite-based guidance provided for systems approaching the West Coast. Other observational and model-based information from WPC and other sources will remain available.
• There will no longer be stand-alone satellite based guidance addressing winter storm development or satellite-derived snow rates. The SPC Mesoscale Convective Discussion will address such events from an integrated observational and model-based approach.
• SAB will provide to WPC MPD forecasters, but no longer provide directly to the WFOs (except as possible Chats), guidance about the early satellite signals of developing marginal heavy precipitation threats which have the potential of evolving into a more serious threat
• SAB will no longer be routinely providing stand-alone satellite-based guidance for heavy rainfall events which are more of a longer duration threat (i.e., more of a flood threat than flash flood threat). Users are encouraged to reference WPC rainfall forecasts and other existing NWS products.

To file an appeal, please contact john.simko@noaa.gov  or complete this Google Doc Appeals Form (use "SPENES" for Product/Service Retirement) which is also attached to the ESPC product retirement notification message in AWIPS. Please do so prior to the end of the 30 day comment period (ending April 27, 2015).

Thank You,
 John Simko
 NOAA/NESDIS
 Satellite Analysis Branch
 Satellite Precipitation Program Team Lead
 301-683-1400