A UFS Collaboration Powered by EPIC
Monday, September 8, 2025 – Friday, September 12, 2025
Boulder, CO & Online
Overview
Join us this September at University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Center Green in Boulder, Colorado or online for the Unifying Innovations in Forecasting Capabilities Workshop 2025 (UIFCW25). This event is an opportunity for community partners, including academia, industry, and government, to collaborate in our shared mission to advance forecasting capabilities. Our objective is to deepen the understanding of our collaborative efforts to improve the UFS, accelerate contributions, and measure success effectively.
We will continue to focus on integrating sectors of the Weather Enterprise and fostering a community aligned with EPIC’s mission, emphasizing government research and the crucial role of community building. UIFCW25 is about engaging and uniting our efforts to advance forecasting capabilities for a more informed future. The theme for this year’s workshop is Building a Stronger UFS Community Through Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing.
Registration is now open! Click the button below to register for UIFCW25 either in person at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Center Green in Boulder, Colorado, or virtually.
If you have ANY issues submitting the form, please reach out to EPIC Support ( support.epic@noaa.gov ) to register.
In-person registration must be completed by Friday, August 22, 2025; there will be no on-site registration for in-person attendance.
Workshop Schedule
For the latest updates on UIFCW25, including registration details, session schedules, and keynote speakers, please check back regularly. Join the conversation and become part of a growing community dedicated to advancing weather forecasting innovations.
* All times in Mountain Daylight Time
September 8, 2025
11:00 am | Virtual Poster Slam
MC | Joshua Kublnick, NOAA/EPIC
Presentation slides: Welcome (PPTX)
Speakers | A to I
Speakers | J to O
Speakers | P to S
Speakers | T to Z
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Training 1 | Compile and Run the UFS Global- Workflow using a Container Image (Singularity) on a variety of Platforms
In-person attendees | Room 2126
Virtual attendees | See Participant Instruction Email
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Training 2 | Artificial Intelligence in Weather Modeling Training
In-person attendees | North Bay
Virtual attendees | See Participant Instruction Email
5:00 pm | Hike With Alison Gregory
Description | Enjoy scenic trails behind the NCAR Mesa Lab. The length of the hike can vary based on attendee interest.
The free UCAR/NCAR shuttle will leave Center Green at 4:33pm and arrive at Mesa Lab by 5pm. The last shuttle back to Center Green is at 6:00pm. Local rideshare options are also available.
Hike Location: Approximately 20 minutes from Center Green
Meet at NCAR - Table Mesa Trail
1850 Table Mesa Dr
Boulder, CO 80305
September 9, 2025
8:00 am | Registration
In-Person Attendees | Registration will begin in the UCAR Center Green lobby.
Virtual Attendees | If you have any general questions about UIFCW, you can ask them in the SLIDO chat space.
9:00 am | Welcome and Kickoff
In-Person Attendees | Center Bay
MC | Jan Ising, NOAA/OAR/WPO/EPIC
Presentation slides: Welcome (PDF) | Welcome (PPTX)
9:15 am | Opening Remarks by Dr. Everette Joseph, NCAR Director
Speaker | Everette Joseph, NCAR
Presentation slide: (PDF) | (PPTX)
9:30 am | State of the Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC) and the Unified Forecast System (UFS)
Description | This session provides an overview of the state of the science for EPIC and the UFS. It highlights success stories and their impact on the community, and future goals of EPIC and UFS.
Speakers |
Kevin Garrett, NOAA/NWS/OSTI
Maoyi Huang, NOAA/OAR/WPO/EPIC
Vijay Tallapragada, NOAA/NWS/NCEP EMC
Saeed Moghimi, NOAA/NOS/OCS
Presentation slides: State of the Earth Prediction Innovation Center and the Unified Forecast System (PDF) | (PPTX)
10:15 am | BREAK
10:45 am | Testing and Continuous Integration Updates
Description | This session will provide an update on what the community is doing towards making the UFS code base robust by adding testing frameworks and infrastructure ranging from unit tests, functional tests, all the way up to regression and end-to-end tests. Additionally, the session can solicit abstracts describing the tools and techniques being used to build and automate the testing and integration.
Speakers |
Alex Richert, RedLine Performance Solutions/NOAA EMC
Marshall Ward, NOAA - Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
Presentation slides: Testing & continuous integration updates in UFS (PDF) | (PPTX)
11:30 am | Current Status of Earth System Models
Description | This session will present perspectives on cross-organizational collaboration and community integration in the development of earth system models.
Speakers |
Alistair Sellar, UK Met Office
David Lawrence, NSF NCAR
Presentation slides: Momentum partnership: Multi-institute model evaluation and development across time and space scales (PDF) | (PPTX)
Presentation slides: Integrating the Community into the Development, Use, and Support of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) (PDF) | (PPTX)
12:00 pm | LUNCH
1:00 pm | Data Assimilation Update and Discussion
Description | This session will be a panel discussion on community Data Assimilation support. Brief updates in the field of Data Assimilation from the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA), the Joint Effort for Data Assimilation Integration (JEDI), the Transatlantic Data Science Academy (TDSA) and Consortium for Data Assimilation Research and Education (CADRE) are also planned to be touched on. Audience engagement is strongly encouraged.
Speakers |
Jan Ising, NOAA/OAR/WPO/EPIC
Xuguang Wang, University of Oklahoma/CADRE
John Ten Hoeve, NOAA/OAR/WPO
Tom Auligne, UCAR-JCSDA
Dan Holdaway, NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC
Zhaoxia Pu, University of Utah
Presentation slides: Main Priorities at EMC; Q&A (PDF) | (PPTX)
Presentation slides: How to advance data assimilation through community engagement and support? CADRE’s perspectives. (PDF) | (PPTX)
2:00 pm | UFS Coupling: How the UFS Is Being Expanded to Include Additional Environmental Modeling Components
Description | This session will be divided into three parts. The first part will present an overview of UFS components, their coupling, and highlights of newly developed capabilities. The second part will focus on software modernization and the future of coupling techniques, moving beyond the current Earth System Modeling Framework / National Unified Operational Prediction Capability Earth System Modeling Framework / National Unified Operational Prediction Capability (ESMF/NUOPC) approach. The third part will be an open discussion covering both subjects.
Speakers |
Ligia Bernardet, NOAA GSL/DTC
Ann Tsay, UCAR
Hendrik L. Tolman, NOAA/NWS/OSTI
Presentation slides: UFS Coupling: How the UFS Is Being Expanded to Include Additional Environmental Modeling Components (PDF) | (PPTX)
Presentation slides: The Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF) Update (PDF) | (PPTX)
Presentation slides: Software modernization for the UFS: A position paper (PDF) | (PPTX)
3:00 pm | BREAK
3:30 pm | NOAA's AI Transformation
Description | This presentation will detail NOAA's AI strategy, NCAI's implementation activities, and available AI-ready resources to empower the UFS and other communities.
Speakers |
Robert Redmon, NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI/NCAI
Jun Wang, NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC
Presentation slides: NOAA’s AI Transformation (PDF)
4:00 pm | Keynote: Coupled modeling to improve marine weather forecasts of winds and waves for maritime shipping
Description | Sofar operates a global network of free drifting and moored in situ metocean buoys known as Spotters. Since 2019, Sofar has run an operational wave forecast system that assimilates the Spotter data and satellite altimeter observations in order to produce 4x-daily operational global wave forecasts, using wind forcing from external forecast products. For the last few years, Sofar has been developing a coupled forecast system using model components of the UFS - including the FV3-GFS (GFDL SHiELD version) and WaveWatchIII, with a ESMF/NUOPC coupler framework and the CMEPS mediator. This configuration enables ocean surface observations from Spotters and satellites to enhance surface winds forecasts, and extending wave forecast skill. In our latest evaluation, we have found that the new coupled forecast system produces marine wind forecasts that outperform ECMWF's HRES (49r1) out to 40 hours and wave forecasts that outperform out to 100 hours, on average, compared to observations. Through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with GFDL, EMC, and the Navy, we are continuing to advance the coupled modeling configuration to further improve forecast performance at the air-sea interface, as we plan a full rollout of our coupled model for 4x-daily operational forecasts of marine winds and waves.
Speaker | Stephen G. Penny, Sofar Ocean
Presentation slides: Coupled modeling to improve marine weather forecasts of winds and waves for maritime shipping (PDF)
4:30 pm | Meet The Community Panel Discussion
Description | This panel discussion will focus on the user side of the community. Organizations that are using and/or interested in using the UFS
Moderated by | Hendrik L. Tolman, NOAA/NWS/OSTI
Panelists |
Serena Lipari, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Craig Setzer, Royal Caribbean Group
Patricia Vollmer, Department of Defense (DoD)/NORAD & US Northern Command
Andrew Winters, University of Colorado Boulder
Presentation slides: Meet the community panel discussion (PDF)
5:45 pm | Networking Mixer
In-Person Attendees | UCAR Center Green lobby.
Description | A presentation will be given by the Boulder National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Science and Operations Officer, followed by ice breakers and Hors d'oeuvres.
Speaker | Paul Schlatter, NOAA/NWS Boulder Weather Forecast Office
Presentation slides: The NWS Boulder Forecast Office: NWP Driving Decision Support (PDF) | (PPTX)
7:15 pm | Informal Gathering at Avery Brewery Taproom and Restaurant
4910 Nautilus Ct. N (10 minutes from Center Green)
September 10, 2025
8:00 am | Registration
In-Person Attendees | Registration will begin in the UCAR Center Green lobby.
Virtual Attendees | If you have any general questions about UIFCW, you can ask them in the SLIDO chat space.
9:00 am | Welcome and Kickoff
In-Person Attendees | Center Bay
MC | Shira Francis, NOAA/NWS/OSTI-M/IBSS
Presentation slides: Welcome (PDF) | Welcome (PPTX)
9:05 am | NOAA - Current Status and Priorities
Description | NOAA leadership will share programmatic and budgetary priorities in numerical weather prediction in FY25 and looking forward to FY26
Speakers |
Gina Eosco, NOAA/OAR/WPO
Steve Smith, NOAA/NWS
Mark Osler, NOAA/NOS
Presentation slides: NOAA - Current Status and Priorities (PDF) | (PPTX)
9:20 am | Student/Lapenta Presentations
Description | This session will feature student presentations on community modeling.
Speakers |
Rowin Smith - The UFS Student Experience: Accomplishments, Challenges, and Recommendations (PDF) | (PPTX)
Michael Kwadwo Benneh - Aerosol Data Assimilation Using Global Chemistry And Aerosol Forecast System (Gcafs)/Jedi (PDF) | (PPTX)
McKenzie Larson - Evaluation of initial condition blending within MPAS to inform RRFSv2 (PDF) | (PPTX)
Shreyas Dhavale - Case studies of the Monsoon Onset Vortex and early season Monsoon features using the UFS coupled model (PDF) | (PPTX)
Anna Glodzik - Evaluating UFS Heat and Moisture Fluxes Using Eddy Covariance Observations from the New York State Mesonet (PPTX)
10:20 am | BREAK
10:25 am - New User/Student Parallel Track Begins
In-Person Attendees | North Bay
10:45 am | UFS Community Social Science Survey Results
In-Person Attendees | Center Bay
Description | This session will present the results for the UFS Community Survey. These results will be used to build a stronger UFS community and better understand science-based team dynamics.
Speakers |
Alison Gregory, UCAR CPAESS
Hannah Love, Divergent Science LLC
Presentation slides: UFS Community Social Science Survey Results (PPTX)
11:15 am | UFS Coastal Project Overview
Description | This session will provide an over of the UFS Coastal project, led by the NCAR ESMF team and the National Ocean Service (NOS) Office of Coast Survey (OCS) Storm Surge Modeling Team, in partnership with the EPIC, aims to establish a prototype application-level framework (UFS Coastal App) for coastal forecasting requirements.
Speaker | Saeed Moghimi, NOAA/NOS/OCS
Presentation slides: UFS Coastal Project Update (PPTX)
12:00 pm | LUNCH
1:00 pm | Parallel Sessions with Q&A
Description | Two concurrent sessions will provide updates on global applications across scales and data assimilation.
UFS Application - Global Applications Across Scales
Description | This session will focus on advancements in the UFS for global applications across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, medium-range weather prediction, atmospheric river forecasting, and subseasonal to seasonal outlooks. We welcome contributions on global workflows, model infrastructure, physics and dynamics, Earth system component model development and coupling strategies, as well as verification methodologies. Presenters are encouraged to address forecasting challenges, operational integration, and emerging scientific and technological innovations in Earth system modeling.
In-Person Attendees | South Bay
Moderated by | Fanglin Yang, NWS/NCEP/EMC
Speakers |
Catherine Thomas - Overview of the Next Global Forecast System GFSv17 (PDF)
Bing Fu - GEFSv13 updates (PDF)
Philip Pegion - NOAA's Seasonal Forecast System (PPTX)
Justin Perket- 2-Way Coupling the GFDL Land Model with FV3 Atmosphere in UFS (PDF)
Lisa Bengtsson - Improving Tropical Variability in the UFS for S2S Prediction (PPTX)
Benjamin Moore - Impacts of tropical forecast errors on weeks 3–4 extreme precipitation predictions over California during winter 2022–23 (PDF) | (PPT)
Daniel R. Adriaansen - New Capabilities for Evaluating Land-Atmosphere Coupling in UFS Prototypes using METplus (PPTX)
Wei Huang - Run SFS global-workflow on AWS (PPTX)
Juliana Dias - Development of an MJO test bed to support UFS global applications (PDF)
Cross-Cutting - Data Assimilation
Description | Data Assimilation (DA) is a critical component of Earth System Prediction. In this session, presentations will feature cutting-edge research on DA, DA applications, innovative observing techniques and coupled DA processes. Challenges and opportunities in data assimilation may also be addressed.
In-Person Attendees | Center Bay
Moderated by | Sergey Frolov, NOAA/OAR/PSL
Speakers |
Jonathan (JJ) Guerrette - Evaluation of the Tomorrow.io Microwave Sounder constellation with a JEDI-UFS-based and GDAS-inspired NWP system (PDF)
Christian Sampson - A Hybrid Tangent Linear Model in JEDI (PPTX)
Peter Jan van Leeuwen - On the efficient implementation of non-Gaussian observation errors in existing DA schemes (PPTX)
Sergey Frolov - Towards end-to-end machine learning models that combine forecast with data assimilation (PDF)
Clara Draper - Land Data Assimilation Activities for Global NWP at NOAA (PDF)
Lindsey Hayden - Space Weather Data Assimilation Capabilities in the JEDI System (PPTX)
Hyun-Sook Kim - Marine JEDI system and MOM6 analysis for application to improve UFS-HAFS forecast (PPTX)
3:00 pm | BREAK
3:30 pm | Emerging Technologies: Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
In-Person Attendees | Center Bay
Description | This session invites developers/scientists who are actively working on topics included but not limited to: The development and operationalization of partial/full data-driven models for short-, mid- long-term weather forecasting, AI-based parametrization, novel techniques for accuracy improvement using AI in DA and/or post-processing, software/hardware engineering aspects related to model development, data acquisition, scalability on training and inference, etc.
Speakers |
Jun Wang - Data-driven MLWP model development for global weather forecasts (PPTX)
Sergey Frolov - NOAA EAGLE: research to operations pipeline for AI weather models at NOAA (PDF)
Corey Potvin - Enhancing WoFSCast Calibration and Sharpness with a Probabilistic Loss (PDF)
James Conley - AI-Enabled UFS: Fortran to CUDA Code Translation for Accelerated Computing (PPTX)
5:00 pm | Creating Better Feedback Loops Between Users and Developers Panel Discussion
Description | This panel discussion explores effective strategies for bridging the communication gap between users and development teams. We will discuss best practices for translating raw user feedback into tangible product improvements, driving innovation that satisfies user needs while upholding evolving software standards.
Moderated by | Alicia Bentley, NOAA/NWS EMC
Panelists |
Kodi Berry, NOAA/OAR/NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL)
Michelle Harrold, NSF NCAR/RAL/DTC
Logan Poole, NOAA/NWS
Leticia Williams, NOAA/NWS
Castle Williamsberg, FedWriters Supporting NOAA/OAR/WPO
Presentation slides: Creating Better Feedback Loops Between Users and Developers Panel Discussion (PPTX)
5:45 pm | Adjourn
___________________________
Wednesday, September 10, 2025: New User/Student Parallel Track
10:00 am | Registration
In-Person Attendees | Registration will begin in the UCAR Center Green lobby.
Virtual Attendees | If you have any general questions about UIFCW, you can ask them in the SLIDO chat space.
10:20 am | BREAK
10:25 am | Welcome and Kickoff
In-Person Attendees | North Bay
MC | Jason R. Anderson, NWS OSTI-Modeling
Presentation slides: Welcome (PPTX)
10:30 am | Overview of Operational Models
Description | This session will highlight and provide an overview of the operational models within the weather forecast system.
Speaker | Vijay Tallapragada, NOAA/NWS/NCEP EMC
Presentation slides: Overview of Operational Modeling at NOAA's Environmental Modeling Center (Future Modeling and Development Center - MDC) (PDF)
11:30 am | UFS 101: Introduction to the Unified Forecast System
Description | This session will provide the fundamentals of the UFS, how it works and ways it can be used for community modeling.
Speaker | Hendrik L. Tolman, NOAA/NWS/OSTI
Presentation slides: UFS 101 (PDF) | (PPT - small) | (PPT - large)
12:00 pm | LUNCH
1:00 pm | Intro to Data Assimilation, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Description | This session will provide an overview of data assimilation and artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Speakers |
Daryl Kleist, NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC
Stephen Haddad, UK Met Office
Presentation slides: Stimulating innovation through the Data Science User Journey (PPTX)
Animation: Observations Assimilated in the GMAO GEOS-5 Analysis at 0000 UTC on 10 Dec 2014 (MP4)
1:30 pm | Academic Research that benefits NOAA
Description | This session will highlight ways academic research is being used to benefit NOAA.
Speakers |
Sen Chiao, NOAA Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology/Howard University
Sarah Lu, University at Albany, SUNY
Benjamin Cash, George Mason University
Joseph Chan, Department of Geography, The Ohio State University
Presentation slides: Two Decades of Partnership with NOAA Line Offices: Challenges and Opportunities for the NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (NCAS-M) (PPTX)
Presentation slides: Academic research that benefits NOAA: UAlbany experiences (PPTX)
Presentation slides: Resolution Dependence in the Seasonal Forecast System (PPTX)
Presentation slides: Benefitting NOAA by Improving the Exploitation of Obs in EnsDA (PPTX)
2:30 pm | BREAK
3:00 pm | Starting Your Career in NOAA: Resources and Getting Your Foot in the Door
Description | This panel discussion will provide strategies to help individuals launch a career within NOAA.
Speakers |
Alison Gregory, UCAR CPAESS
Logan Poole, NOAA/NWS
Tracy Fanara, Inspector Planet, Project ENKI
Jennifer Vogt, NOAA/OAR/WPO/EPIC
Presentation slides: Starting Your Career at NOAA (PPTX)
3:45 pm | Effective Ways to Network
Description | This session will provide strategies and techniques to help individuals network within NOAA.
Moderated by | Mike Ek, NCAR/RAL
Speakers |
Karimar Ledesma-Maldonado, Northern Illinois University
Jacob Carstens, University of North Dakota, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Aaron Pratt, NOAA/OAR/WPO
Segayle C. Thompson, PhD., NOAA/OAR/WPO
Hendrik L. Tolman, NOAA/NWS/OSTI
Mike Ek, NCAR/RAL
Benjamin Patrick Woods, NOAA/OAR/WPO
Presentation slides: Effective Ways to Network (PPTX)
4:30 pm | Adjourn
September 11, 2025
9:00 am | Welcome and Kickoff
In-Person Attendees | Center Bay
MC | Rowin Smith, Colgate University, NOAA William M. Lapenta Internship
Presentation slides: Welcome (PPTX)
9:15 am | Research to Operations (R2O) facets and how to engage in R2O to advance the UFS
Description | This session will foster a dialogue with panelists representing various facets of the R2O process for the Unified Forecast System. The panelists will include representatives from the UFS R2O/SFS projects, NOAA’s Weather Program Office (WPO) and NOAA’s Testbeds and Proving Grounds. The session will kick-off with short presentations directed at familiarizing the workshop participants with the UFS R2O and SFS projects, current UFS related activities in NOAA’s Testbeds and how NOAA WPO supports the R2O process.
Moderated by | Andrea J. Ray, Ph.D., NOAA Research Physical Sciences Lab
Speakers |
Kevin Garrett, NOAA/NWS/OSTI
Jordan Dale, NOAA/OAR/WPO
Andrea J. Ray, Ph.D., NOAA Research Physical Sciences Lab
Panelists |
Kevin Garrett, NOAA/NWS/OSTI
Jordan Dale, NOAA/OAR/WPO
Andrea J. Ray, Ph.D., NOAA/OAR/Physical Sciences Lab (PSL)
Jim Nelson, NOAA/NWS/WPC
Chandra Kondragunta, NOAA/OAR/WPO
Jacob Carley, NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC
Kathryn Newman, NSF NCAR/DTC
Presentation slides: Research to Operations (R2O) facets and how to engage in R2O to advance the UFS (PPTX)
9:30 am to 12:00 pm - Training 3 | Introduction to Running Idealized Test Cases via the UFS Hierarchical System Development (HSD) Framework
In-Person Attendees | Room 2603
Virtual Attendees | See Participant Instruction Email
9:30 am to 12:00 pm - Training 4 | NOAA AI Learning Journeys Tutorial
In-Person Attendees | Room 2126
Virtual Attendees | See Participant Instruction Email
10:15 am | US Navy's Earth System Prediction Capability Efforts by Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Enterprise
Description | This session highlights the new global Navy Earth System Prediction Capability (Navy‐ESPC) coupled atmosphere‐ocean‐sea ice prediction system developed at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) for operational forecasting for timescales of days to the subseasonal.
Speaker | Shastri Paturi, Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC)
Presentation slides: The US Navy Earth System Prediction Capability (Navy ESPC): Overview and Future Developments (PDF) | (PPTX)
10:45 am | Fire Behavior Model Being Coupled to the UFS
Description | This session will provide an overview of the newly integrated Community Fire Behavior Model (CFBM) within the UFS Short-Range Weather (SRW) Application v3.0.0. A subject matter expert will explain how coupled fire-atmosphere interactions can be simulated on high-resolution nested grids, enhancing the ability to forecast wildfire behavior.
Speakers | Pedro Jimenez, NSF NCAR
Presentation slides: Fire Behavior model being coupled to the UFS (PDF) | (PPTX)
11:15 am | Poster Session
Description | Posters and their authors will be arranged in a gallery-style walkthrough in the main lobby. Conference participants are invited to meet and discuss science topics at length with authors.
Speakers | A to I
Speakers | J to O
Speakers | P to S
Speakers | T to Z
12:00 pm | LUNCH
1:00 pm | Parallel Sessions with Q&A
UFS Application – Coastal, Marine, Oceans and Ecology
In-Person Attendees | North Bay
Description | This session will showcase developments in the UFS for coastal, marine, ocean, and ecological applications, including advancements in the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS). Topics may include model coupling, data assimilation, physics improvements, and applications for forecasting and ecosystem predictions. Contributions on operational implementation and research advancements are also welcome.
Moderated by | Tracy Fanara, Inspector Planet, Project ENKI
Speakers |
Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome - NOAA Unified Forecast System Coastal Applications Team (UFS CAT) Model Evaluation (PPTX)
Joseph Knisely - Obstacles for High-Resolution HAFS over the Entire Atlantic Basin (PPTX)
Kristin N. Barton - Progress on the Development of an Arctic Regional Coupled UFS Application (UFS-Arctic) (PPTX)
Scott Durski - Coupling CICE to SCHISM in UFS coastal: Lessons learned while working towards a coupled ice-ocean forecast system for Alaska (PDF) | (PPTX - large) | (PPT - small)
William Ramstrom - Multiple Moving Nests and Telescoping Nests Advancements for HAFS (PDF)
Saeed Memari - Real-World Evaluation of the UFS Coastal Application: Two-Way Coupled Wave–Circulation Modeling during the 2021 Hurricane Season (PPTX)
Joseph Zhang - Development of a new operational forecast system for southeastern US (SECOFS) (PPTX)
Yunfang Sun - Development and Implementation of Regression Tests and Applications within the UFS-Coastal Framework (PPTX)
HaoCheng Yu - Recent SCHISM coupling development under NOAA's UFS-coastal framework (PPTX)
Ali Abdolali - Triton-c: Wind Wave Modeling on Unstructured Grids Using a Modern C++ Framework (PDF)
Kathryn Newman - Recent METplus advancements for verifying HAFS forecasts (PPTX)
UFS Application – Short-Range Weather (SRW) Application, Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) and Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS)
In-Person Attendees | Center Bay
Description | This session will highlight advancements in the UFS SRW App, the RRFS, and the MPAS. This session should focus on model development, data assimilation, physics enhancements, and verification efforts to improve high-impact, short-range weather forecasts. Contributions on system performance, operational readiness, and emerging research are encouraged.
Moderated by | Curtis Alexander, NOAA/OAR/GSL
Speakers |
Matthew E. Pyle - Updates on Rapid Refresh Forecast System Version 1 (PPTX)
Israel Jirak - Evaluation of RRFSv1 during the 2025 NOAA HWT Spring Forecasting Experiment (PPTX)
Dustin Swales - Implementation of the MPAS Dynamical Core in the Unified Forecast System Weather Model (PPTX)
Clark Evans - NOAA/GSL Model Development and Forecasting Activities Toward RRFSv2 Using MPAS (PPTX)
Adam Clark - MPAS evaluations for severe weather forecasting during the 2025 NOAA/Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Forecasting Experiment (PDF) | (PPTX)
Michelle Harrold - Recent advancements in METplus for RRFS and MPAS verification (PPTX)
Curtis Alexander - A Discussion on Sustaining SRW/CAM Development Agility While Advancing UFS Capabilities (PPTX)
UFS Application – Air Quality, Atmospheric Composition, Aerosols (including smoke, dust and fire capabilities)
In-Person Attendees | South Bay
Description | This session will highlight advancements in the UFS for air quality, atmospheric composition, and aerosol modeling, including capabilities for smoke, dust, and fire forecasting. Topics may include model development, data assimilation, emissions modeling, chemical processes, and verification efforts. Submissions focusing on new methodologies, improved predictive capabilities, and real-world applications are also welcome.
Moderated by | Ravan Ahmadov, NOAA/OAR/GSL
Speakers |
Li Zhang - Fire Aerosol Prediction in NOAA’s Global Aerosol Systems and its Impact on Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) Forecasting (PDF) | (PPTX)
Yaping Wang - JEDI based data assimilation for the NOAA Global Chemistry and Aerosol Forecast System (GCAFS) (PPTX)
Ravan Ahmadov - Evaluation of the RRFS-Smoke-Dust Model During the 2025 Fire Season in North America (PPTX)
Patrick Campbell - Advancements in NOAA’s Unified Forecast System-Air Quality Model (UFS-AQM) to improve our nation’s air quality forecasting capabilities (PPTX)
Daniel Tong - Developing a global 1km anthropogenic emission dataset to support multiscale atmospheric composition modeling (PPTX)
Emily Faber - First Implementation of a Reflectance Derived Sediment Supply Map in the UFS and Analysis of Impacts on AOD and Dust Emission. (PDF) | (PPT)
3:00 pm | BREAK
3:30 pm | MPAS Collaborations & Community Engagement
In-Person Attendees | Center Bay
Description | This session will foster a dialogue with panelists from NOAA and NCAR to highlight and explore collaborative efforts and strategies advancing MPAS in the community.
Moderated by |
Kate Fossell, NSF NCAR
Jeff Beck, NOAA/GSL
Panelists |
Christiane Jablonowski, University of Michigan
Bill Skamarock, NSF NCAR
Ligia Bernardet, NOAA GSL/DTC
Kathryn Newman, NSF NCAR/DTC
Lou Wicker, NOAA/OAR/NSSL
Presentation slides: MPAS Collaborations & Community Engagement (PPTX)
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm | Tour of the National Science Foundation (NSF) National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) NCAR Mesa Lab at 1850 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder, CO, 80305
In-Person Attendees | Sign-up sheet at registration table.
Description | A shuttle runs from Center Green to Mesa Lab, leaving at 3:03pm and 3:30pm and is on a first-come first-serve basis. The tour starts at 3:45pm MDT. and is capped at 30 people. Please use the sign-up sheet at the registration table to attend. The last shuttle back to Center Green leaves the Mesa Lab at 6:00pm. Ride share options or carpooling are also available. Visit NSF NCAR | Center for Science Education
4:15 pm | Generation of grid-mesh with multi-refinements for using MPAS to predict severe weather over multiple regions
Description | This presentation introduces a novel procedure utilizing JIGSAW(GEO) to generate high-quality grid meshes that more accurately capture local geographic features, which is critical for accurate severe weather forecasts.
Speaker | Shuxia Zhang, Metropolitan State University
Presentation slides: Generation of Grid-mesh with Multi-refinements for Using MPAS to Predict Severe Weather over Multiple Regions (PDF)
4:45 pm | Adjourn
September 12, 2025
9:00 am | Welcome and Kickoff
In-Person Attendees | Center Bay
MC | Alison Gregory, UCAR CPAESS
Presentation slides: Welcome (PPTX)
9:15 am | Community Engagement/Collaboration
Description | This session will feature discussions about community engagement efforts related to the UFS and highlight opportunities for collaboration across the large platform of users. Presenters are encouraged to emphasize interdisciplinary partnerships, knowledge sharing, and effective communication of science across various audiences.
Speakers |
Joshua Kublnick - Enabling Community Success Through EPIC User Support Services (PPTX)
Chandra Kondragunta - Synergy between Joint Technology Transfer Initiative and Earth Prediction Innovation Center in Advancing NOAA’s Unified Forecast System (PPTX)
Breanna Vanderplow - Advancing Community Ocean and Coastal Modeling by Harnessing the Power of the Cloud (PPTX)
Tracy Hertneky - The Common Community Physics Package: A Unified Framework for Physics Development, Testing, and Operational Transition (PPTX)
Edward Snyder - Rethinking spack-stack support: a containerized approach (PPTX)
10:15 am | BREAK
10:45 am | UFS Coastal Code Development, Applications, and Use Cases
Description | The UFS Coastal project management relies on a Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline through the Jenkins platform, established via an ongoing collaboration with EPIC. The first iteration of this UFS Coastal CI/CD pipeline enables the technical team to automate regression testing of the code base on selected platforms, and greatly improves the efficiency of development given the rapid evolution of UFS code-bases. This session will spotlight developments related to coastal code development.
Speakers |
Saeed Moghimi, NOAA/NOS/OCS
Ufuk Turuncoglu, NCAR
Mansur Ali Jisan, NOAA/NOS/CO-OPS
Presentation slides: The Coastal Modeling Framework: Code development and infrastructure (PDF)
Presentation slides: A Containerized WCOSS2 Environment for Collaborative Development of Operational Ocean Forecast Systems (PPTX)
11:15 am | Commercial Weather Observations
Description | The private sector's role in advancing operational observational networks (conventional and satellite) has significantly increased in the last few years. NOAA and the weather industry engage actively with commercial observation providers through pilot projects and data acquisition programs to support the operational environmental monitoring and modeling; and to advance fundamental research. This session will feature mixed backgrounds: program officers from the public sector (NOAA, NASA, DOD, etc), private providers of observations, and scientists and operational forecasters for sharing their experiences so far and their vision and ideas for the future.
Speakers |
Michael Hurowitz, Weather Stream
Thomas Cavett, Tomorrow.io
Presentation slides: Commercial Weather Observations (PDF) | (PPT)
12:00 pm | LUNCH
1:00 pm | Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS)/Citizen Science
Description | The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network is the single largest source of manual daily precipitation reports used by NOAA. With over 28,000 active volunteers in all 50 states, participants of all ages and backgrounds use National Weather Service (NWS) approved rain gauges to measure and report their 24-hour precipitation amounts. This session will highlight the history, growth and successes of the network; and will showcase data access, use applications, and research opportunities.
Speaker | Noah Newman, Colorado State University/CoCoRaHS
Presentation slides: NOAA UIFCW25 workshop: CoCoRaHS: Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network (PPTX)
1:30 pm | WINGS Fellowship Transition
Description | This session highlights the research done by the first three WINGS fellows and then introduces our new cohort of WINGS fellows. Each speaker will have 5 minutes.
Moderated by | Cindy Bruyère, SPS CPAESS/UCAR
Speakers |
Emily Faber, UMBC/UCAR
Joseph Knisely, UMD/WINGS
Shreyas Dhavale, North Carolina State University/UCAR
Elena Fernandez, University at Albany, SUNY
Lucas Howard, CU Boulder/UCAR CPAESS
Kaitlin Pereira, Colorado School of Mines/UCAR
Presentation slides: Weather Program Office (WPO) Innovation for Next Generation Scientists (WINGS) Dissertation Fellowship (PPTX)
Presentation slides: WINGS Transition Session (PPTX)
Presentation slides: WINGS Fellowship (PPTX)
Presentation slides: WINGS Transition Session (PPTX)
Presentation slides: WINGS Fellowship (PPTX)
Presentation slides: Improved Utilization of Dense Observations in Data Assimilation Systems Using Machine Learning (PPTX)
Presentation slides: Implementing Machine Learning to Resolve Troposphere-Stratosphere Coupling and Teleconnections in S2S Forecasts (PPTX)
2:00 pm | "Pair and Share" Action Items Activity
Description | The goals of this interactive session are to understand how participants engage in community modeling and to gather participants' thoughts as to how best to structure a modeling community that facilitates engagement, ensures equitable contribution, and encourages collaboration. Participants will be divided into pairs for a 90-minute discussion guided by moderators. This session provides opportunities for an interactive discussion among all stakeholder groups interested in community modeling.
Facilitated by |
Alison Gregory, UCAR CPAESS
Tracy Fanara, Inspector Planet, Project ENKI
John Ten Hoeve, NOAA/OAR/WPO
Jennifer Vogt, NOAA/OAR/WPO/EPIC
Presentation slides: “Pair and Share” Action Items and Debrief (PPTX)
3:30 pm | Debrief: Findings, Recommendations and Closing Statements
Description | For our final session, panelists from EPIC, the UFS, the UFS-R2O project, and community members will come together to reflect on our key findings and takeaways from the workshop.
Speakers |
Kevin Garrett, NOAA/NWS/OSTI
Maoyi Huang, NOAA/OAR/WPO/EPIC
Keven Blackman, Raytheon
Rowin Smith, Colgate University, NOAA William M. Lapenta Internship
Shuxia Zhang, Metropolitan State University
Presentation slides: Debrief: Findings, Recommendations and Closing Statements (PPTX)
4:00 pm | Adjourn – Travel Home!
Training
Training 1 | Compile and Run the UFS Global- Workflow using a Container Image (Singularity) on a variety of Platforms
Monday, September 8, 2025
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm MDT
A Singularity Image File (SIF) or Container Image built with ubuntu (22.04), intel compiler (2021.10.0), and spack-stack (1.6.0) will be used to compile the UFS Global-Workflow (GW) and run on Ursa and AWS, but only use bash, rocoto, and slurm on host machines (Ursa or AWS).
The demo will explain what a container image (SIF) is, its benefits to the UFS community, and its practical applications. It will also walk the participants through how to compile the UFS GW with SIF (on Ursa or AWS, with people’s choice). This demo will compile and run a “hello-world” program both within a container and natively on a host machine, run the UFS GW C48 resolution Atmospheric component (C48-ATM) case, and, if time permits, demonstrate the GW Subseasonal-to-Seasonal (S2S) case.
In the tutorial session, we will guide the participants through compiling and running the UFS GW C48-ATM case on either Ursa or AWS and if time permits, we will also cover the C48-S2SW case.
Objective | Demo: Showcase how to use a container to compile and run the UFS GW on Ursa/AWS. Tutorial: Walk the participants through compiling and running the UFS GW using a container on Ursa/AWS.
Limited to 50 attendees: 20 in person and 30 virtual. Hosted via Google Meet for hybrid and virtual attendees.
Training 2 | Artificial Intelligence in Weather Modeling Training
Monday, September 8, 2025
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm MDT
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) in weather modeling workshop will cover a wide range of use cases in the field of AI for numerical modeling. This workshop will include hands-on training on running Graphcast, FourCastNetv2, and PanguWeather. We will also use the European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts’ (ECMWF) Anemoi Core (https://github.com/ecmwf/anemoi-core) to explore re-training, training, modeling, and graphing the model.
Objective | Guide the participants through practical applications of AI-driven weather modeling by exploring tools such as Graphcast, FourCastNetv2, PanguWeather, and ECMWF’s Anemoi Core for training, evaluation, and visualization.
Limited to 50 attendees. Hosted via Google Meet for hybrid and virtual attendees.
Training 3 | Introduction to Running Idealized Test Cases via the UFS Hierarchical System Development Framework
Thursday, September 11, 2025
9:30 am – 12:00 pm MDT
The UFS Hierarchical System Development (HSD) framework training will provide participants with an overview of the current state of HSD inside of the UFS, an introduction to running and visualizing currently integrated test cases, and general guidance on how community members can contribute to the UFS HSD framework through addition of new test cases and tools. The training will focus on HSD options in the “tests-dev” component of the UFS Weather Model.
Objective | Provide participants with background information and instructions for running the idealized test cases within the UFS HSD framework and contributing to it, through a series of walkthroughs.
Registration deadline for this training is September 5th.
Limited to 50 attendees: 20 in person and 30 virtual. Hosted via Google Meet for hybrid and virtual attendees.
Training 4 | NOAA AI Learning Journeys Tutorial
Thursday, September 11, 2025
9:30 am – 12:00 pm MDT
NOAA Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) collaborates with the NOAA community and partners to publish working examples of AI use cases that are relevant to all NOAA mission areas. These working examples are published as jupyter notebook based Learning Journeys. This training session will provide live demonstration of selected NOAA AI learning journeys that are relevant to the UFS community including use cases like fire weather, tropical cyclones, and rip currents. All participants will be able to run these notebooks in a provided computational environment.
Objective
- Learn how to use NCAI learning journeys to experiment with machine learning models for weather related applications in NOAA.
- Experiment with implementing machine learning applications with AI-ready open datasets on the cloud.
We have reached capacity for this training, registration is closed.
Limited to 50 attendees: 20 in person and 30 virtual. Hosted via Google Meet for hybrid and virtual attendees.
Venue Information
Venue Information
Address: NCAR & UCAR Center Green Campus CG 1, 3080 Center Green Drive, Boulder Colorado, 80301
Parking: Parking is free and available in the Center Green Campus parking lot.
UCAR/NCAR Shuttle: UCAR/NCAR Shuttle schedule (pdf)
Hotel Information
EPIC has reserved discounted rooms at two nearby Boulder hotels for attendees, with deadlines in early August.
Hotel Information
EPIC has reserved a block of rooms at the Residence Inn Boulder and Hampton Inn & Suites Boulder-North for attendees who need hotel accommodations. Each guest must make their own reservation.
Option 1: Residence Inn Boulder
The per diem rate is available for a few shoulder dates, starting Saturday, September 6th through Saturday, September 13th.
To receive the group rate, reservations for the Residence Inn Boulder must be made before the cutoff date: August 10, 2025. Guarantee and cancellation policy is 48 hours prior to arrival.
Reserve Room at Residence Inn Boulder
Option 2: Hampton Inn & Suites Boulder-North
The per diem rate is available starting Sunday, September 7th through Saturday, September 13th. After clicking the button below, attendees will be taken to a landing page where the UIFCW25 rate is already applied. Dates can be changed at the top of the page – make sure to click “update” or your selected room type will default back to the original set of dates. Guests can also call and ask for the “UIFCW” or “Unifying Innovations” rate. It’s best to contact the front desk directly if someone’s preferred method of booking is via phone call – 303.530.3300 extension 0.
To receive the group rate, reservations for the Hampton Inn & Suites Boulder-North must be made before the cutoff date: August 24, 2025. There is free cancellation before 11:59 PM local hotel time on September 6, 2025.
Lunch Payment Information
Lunch is free for all non-federal attendees, which includes federal contractors and CI employees.
All federal employees attending in person and partaking in the catered lunches Tuesday-Friday are required to pay for their meals. Federal employees can choose which days to partake in the catered lunches. It is preferred that federal employees pay prior to the event (by Friday, September 5, 2025, at COB MDT). However, federal employees can choose to pay throughout the event as well. Non-federal employees will be provided lunch as part of their registration.
Lunch Payment Information
- Tuesday lunch: Taco Bar $25/person
- Wednesday lunch: Build Your Own Salad & Grain Bowls $25/person
- Thursday lunch: Asian Rice Bar $25/person
- Friday lunch: Grab and Go Deli Lunch $20/person
*All four lunches include vegan and gluten-free options. Click the lunch menu for more details.
How to Pay:
If you are interested in purchasing catered lunches (provided by UCAR CG Catering), please click the “Purchase Lunch” button below, and select “UIFCW25” from the “Select an item or event to pay” drop-down menu. Click on “Process Payment.” This should bring you to a new page where you enter the amount to pay, credit card information, and your contact information. Once the information is filled out, click “Next” to confirm your payment.
The total amount (when paying for all 4 lunches) is: $95.
Abstract Details
Abstract Submissions are due by Monday, June 30, 2025.
Preview abstract sessions with descriptions and submit your abstract to a relevant session for oral or poster presentation.
Abstract Details
Unified Forecast System (UFS) Application – Short Range Weather (SRW) Application, Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS), and Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS)
This session will highlight advancements in the UFS Short Range Weather (SRW) Application, the Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS), and the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) dynamical core. This session should focus on model development, data assimilation, physics enhancements, and verification efforts to improve high-impact, short-range weather forecasts. Contributions on system performance, operational readiness, and emerging research are encouraged.
UFS Application – Coastal, Marine, Oceans and Ecology
This session will showcase developments in the UFS for coastal, marine, ocean, and ecological applications, including advancements in the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS). Topics may include model coupling, data assimilation, physics improvements, and applications for forecasting and ecosystem predictions. Contributions on operational implementation and research advancements are also welcome.
UFS Application – Air Quality, Atmospheric Composition, Aerosols (including smoke, dust and fire capabilities)
This session will highlight advancements in the UFS for air quality, atmospheric composition, and aerosol modeling, including capabilities for smoke, dust, and fire forecasting. Topics may include model development, data assimilation, emissions modeling, chemical processes, and verification efforts. Submissions focusing on new methodologies, improved predictive capabilities, and real-world applications are also welcome.
Cross-Cutting – Data Assimilation
Data Assimilation (DA) is a critical component of Earth System Prediction. In this session, presentations will feature cutting-edge research on DA, DA applications, innovative observing techniques and coupled DA processes. Challenges and opportunities in data assimilation may also be addressed.
UFS Application – Global Applications Across Scales
This session will focus on advancements in the Unified Forecast System (UFS) for global applications across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, medium-range weather prediction, atmospheric river forecasting, and subseasonal to seasonal outlooks. We welcome contributions on global workflows, model infrastructure, physics and dynamics, Earth system component model development and coupling strategies, as well as verification methodologies. Presenters are encouraged to address forecasting challenges, operational integration, and emerging scientific and technological innovations in Earth system modeling.
Community Engagement/Collaboration
This session will feature discussions about community engagement efforts related to the Unified Forecast System (UFS) and highlight opportunities for collaboration across the large platform of users. Presenters are encouraged to emphasize interdisciplinary partnerships, knowledge sharing, and effective communication of science across various audiences.
Emerging Technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML)
This session invites developers/scientists who are actively working on topics included but not limited to: The development and operationalization of partial/full data-driven models for short-, mid- long-term weather forecasting, AI-based parametrization, novel techniques for accuracy improvement using AI in DA and/or post-processing, software/hardware engineering aspects related to model development, data acquisition, scalability on training and inference, etc.
Student Session (Includes option for an oral or a poster presentation)
Share your Earth system modeling research and goals along with your plans to achieve them through community modeling. The abstracts may include topics on any numerical model and its application. This is open to current undergraduate and graduate students in a related science field.
Poster Session
Share your research, use case, or innovation with other community members during our poster session and networking mixer! Abstract submissions to the poster session are required.
Schedule subject to updates. Additional information will be added as plans for each session evolve.
* All times are in Mountain Daylight Time (MDT).
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