SBC Session 283: Evaluating NOAA's Rapid Refresh Forecast System-Smoke Model (2025 U.S. & Canada)

Original Title: Evaluating NOAA's Rapid Refresh Forecast System-Smoke Model During the 2025 U.S. and Canadian Wildfire Season Session Preview: NOAA has been running the operational Rapid Refresh Forecast System coupled with Smoke and Dust (RRFS-SD) since 2025, providing high-resolution smoke forecasts across North America using satellite-derived fire inputs from the Regional ABI and VIIRS fire Emissions (RAVE). This presentation highlights RRFS-SD performance during the active 2025 U.S. and Canadian wildfire season, focusing on its ability to simulate smoke transport and vertical distribution. Model forecasts are evaluated using aerosol optical depth observations from GOES and TEMPO, along with vertical smoke profiles from EarthCARE Atmospheric Lidar (ATLID). The results demonstrate how satellite observations support the evaluation and improvement of next-generation operational smoke forecasting. About the Presenter: Sudheer Bhimireddy is a research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder, embedded in the Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) at NOAA Boulder campus. He is a member of GSL’s Fire Weather and Atmospheric Composition Branch team and has been involved in modeling and improving the smoke plume rise and fire weather interactions in the RRFS-SD model. About the SBC: The SBC Seminar Series is held weekly on Thursdays and provides an opportunity for scientists across the NOAA satellite community to share topics of interest with their peers. Presentations may cover applications of satellite data in the field, new developments in polar and geostationary programs, or any other satellite-related subject the community wishes to discuss. To receive updates on upcoming sessions, posted recordings, and other SBC announcements, you can subscribe using the form linked here. The series is organized and run by the TOWR-S team. About TOWR-S: The Total Operational Weather Readiness–Satellites (TOWR-S) team helps NOAA/NWS forecasters effectively use satellite data to support real-time decision-making. Through systems engineering, integration, training, and field-driven support, the team ensures new satellite capabilities transition smoothly into operations. TOWR-S develops and maintains tools such as the TOWRpro RPM, ISatSS, and other tools that enhance how satellite products are delivered and applied in mission. Forecasters can explore these resources—and additional capabilities like VuSkew, the Mission Map, and reference procedures—on the TOWR-S Portal, accessible here: https://geotowr.nws.noaa.gov The team also conducts user engagement on behalf of NESDIS program offices and the NWS Office of Observations, including emerging activities such as the SBC Seminar Series, to help keep the field connected with the latest satellite advancements. Questions on configuring satellite products or on the RPM, slack us at #towr-s.