The GOES-R Proving Ground's activities at NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) and Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) in Norman, OK provide a unique opportunity to interact with and study, in an operational framework, new products available from the next generation GOES-R satellite to be launched in 2015. The overall goal of the Proving Ground is to prepare forecasters by providing them with the knowledge, training and experience needed to effectively use the products in day-to-day operations once they become routinely available. This goal is met through constant forecaster and researcher interaction with the products in real-time forecasting situations during the Spring Experiment in collaboration with the NSSL/SPC Experimental Forecast Program and the NSSL/NWS Experimental Warning Program, as well as within SPC operations and various HWT activities throughout the year, such as the newly developed Summer Fire Weather Experiment. Constructive feedback given by the participants during the Spring Experiment, within SPC operations and from additional HWT activities is provided to product developers in order to facilitate improvements to the products and training prior to operational implementation.

Observational products focusing on detecting and forecasting convective initiation, overshooting tops, enhanced-Vs, sounder-derived stability indices, total lightning, surface dryness, vegetation index, fire detection as well as simulated GOES-R IR radiances, band differences and total lightning from the NSSL-WRF were examined and evaluated in a broad range of forecasting strategies, from convective outlooks to real-time NWS warning exercises. The presentation will focus on the GOES-R Proving Ground activities at the SPC and HWT, findings from this past year's Spring Severe and Summer Fire Weather Experiment, product improvements, case examples, forecaster interactions, and goals for the GOES-R Proving Ground activities at the SPC and HWT in years to come.

More information on the GOES-R Proving Ground's activities at the SPC and HWT can be found on the website.