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Ken Pryor

Satellite Meteorology and Climatology Division

Operational Products Development Branch
Research Scientist

 

Publications

To view Mr. Pryor's publications, visit:

ResearcherID:
F-5620-2010

Ken Pryor photoKen Pryor received a B.A. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia Tech in 1989, a Certificate in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University in 1995, and an M.S. degree in Meteorology from University of Maryland in 2004. He served four years in the U.S. Navy from 1989 to 1993, including duty as Weather Officer on the USS San Diego (AFS-6). After his naval service, Ken was employed as a weather observer and forecaster for the National Weather Service and U.S. Air Force. In NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research since 2000, Ken has pursued interests in severe convective storms and downbursts.

Product Development, Validation, and Training

Ken has developed Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) sounder-derived index products to assess the potential severity of convective downbursts. The Wet Microburst Severity Index (WMSI) indicates the potential magnitude of downbursts over the eastern United States. The Hybrid Microburst Index (HMI) and Microburst Windspeed Potential Index (MWPI) assess the potential for convective downbursts over the United States Great Plains and intermountain western U.S. Ken has conducted product validation and investigation of operational applications of the GOES Wind Index (WINDEX), the Wet Microburst Severity Index (WMSI), the Hybrid Microburst Index (HMI), and Microburst Windspeed Potential Index (MWPI). Ken has also developed a multi-index technique to forecast downburst potential over the Great Plains and intermountain western U.S. In addition, Ken has developed a web-based teletraining module Forecasting Convective Downburst Potential Using GOES Sounder Derived Products and has trained over 650 forecasters in "techniques for predicting downburst risk using GOES sounder derived product data".

Presentations

An Observational Summary of Convective Storm-generated Winds, (PDF, 2.38 MB). Presented at the 39th Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships in Newport, Rhode Island on 30 January 2012.

Convective Storm Nowcasting Applications of McIDAS-V, (PDF, 1.16 MB). Presented with Thomas Rink (University of Wisconsin/SSEC/CIMSS) at the 2012 NOAA Satellite Science Week Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri on 3 May 2012.

A Downburst Study of the 29-30 June 2012 North American Derecho (poster), (PDF, 2.87 MB). Presented with Colleen Wilson (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department, University of Maryland) at the 2013 NOAA Satellite Conference in College Park, Maryland on 10 April 2013.

A Downburst Study of the 29-30 June 2012 North American Derecho, (PDF, 4.31 MB). Presented with Colleen Wilson (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department, University of Maryland) at STAR Seminar on 30 April 2013.

Observing Thunderstorm Downbursts over the Chesapeake Bay Region (version 1), (PDF, 3.03 MB). Presented at the Marine Users Committee meeting at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Sterling, Virginia on 20 June 2013.

Observing the Earth with Satellites, (PDF, 9.43 MB). Presented at the George Mason University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) on 12 November 2013.

Toward the Long-range Prediction of Severe Convective Windstorms (version 1), (PDF, 4.58 MB). Presented at the 2014 NOAA Satellite Science Week Meeting on 12 March 2014.

Observing Thunderstorm Downbursts over the Chesapeake Bay Region (version 2), (PDF, 1.26 MB). Presented at the 2014 U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Conference in Ocean City, Maryland on 9 April 2014.

Toward the Long-range Prediction of Severe Convective Windstorms (version 2), (PDF, 1.55 MB). Presented at the 2014 Graduate Student/Post-Doctoral Fluid Dynamics Symposium at University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland on 28 May 2014.

Microburst Nowcasting Applications of GOES, (PDF, 2.88 MB). Presented at Aviation Weather Forecast Training in Beltsville, MD on 2 December 2011.

Recent developments in microburst nowcasting using GOES, (PDF, 701 KB). Presented at the 17th Conference on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography in Annapolis, MD on 30 September 2010.

Aviation Weather Forecasting With Satellites, (PDF, 2.06 MB). Presented at the 2010 NCAS Weather Camp at Howard University, Washington, DC on 20 July 2010.

Recent Developments in Microburst Nowcasting using GOES, (PDF, 916 KB). Presented at the GOES-R Algorithm Working Group Annual Meeting in Madison, WI on 8 June 2010.

Downburst Potential Monitoring, (PPT, 730 KB). Presented at the STAR External Science Review at University of Maryland, College Park, MD on 10 March 2010.

Recent Developments in Forecasting Convective Downburst Potential Using GOES. Presented at NOAA Science Center in Camp Springs, MD on 9 November 2009.

Microburst Windspeed Potential Assessment: Progress and Recent Developments, (PDF, 228 KB). Presented at the GOES-R Algorithm Working Group Annual Meeting at University of Maryland, College Park, MD on 23 July 2009.

Microburst windspeed potential assessment: progress and developments. Presented at the 16th Conference on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography in Phoenix, AZ on 14 January 2009.

Microburst Windspeed Potential: Progress and Developments. Presented at the GOES-R Algorithm Working Group Annual Meeting in Madison, WI on 24 June 2008.

Forecasting Convective Downburst Potential Using GOES Sounder Derived Products, (PDF, 1.35 MB). Presented at the 7th Southeast Severe Storms Symposium at Mississippi State University on 5 April 2008.

An Initial Assessment of the GOES Microburst Windspeed Potential Index, (PDF, 234 KB). Presented at the 5th GOES Users' Conference in New Orleans, LA on 23 January 2008.

GOES-R Applications for the Assessment of Aviation Hazards, (PDF, 435 KB), presented at the 5th GOES Users' Conference in New Orleans, LA on 23 January 2008.

The GOES Microburst Windspeed Potential Index, (PDF, 243 KB), Presented at the Annual GOES-R Algorithm Working Group Annual Meeting in Lansdowne, VA on 15 May 2007.

Electrical Behavior of Downburst-Producing Convective Storms over the High Plains, (PDF, 138 KB) Presented at the 23rd Conference on Severe Local Storms in St. Louis, MO on 8 November 2006.

GOES Aviation Products: Progress and Recent Developments. Presented at NOAA Science Center in Camp Springs, MD on 20 October 2006.

The GOES Hybrid Microburst Index, (PDF, 133 KB). Presented at the 14th Conference on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography in Atlanta, GA on 1 February 2006.

GOES WMSI-Progress and Developments, (PDF, 373 KB). Presented at the 21st Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting in Washington, DC on 1 August 2005.

Forecasting Convective Downburst Potential Using GOES Sounder Derived Products, (PDF, 837 KB). Presented at the National Weather Service, Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma on 3 May 2005.

The Development of the College Park Tornado of 24 September 2001, (PDF, 3.32 MB) Presented at University of Maryland, College Park on 28 October 2004.

An Initial Assessment of the GOES Microburst Windspeed Potential Index, (PDF, 234 KB). Presented at the 5th GOES Users' Conference in New Orleans, LA on 23 January 2008.

GOES-R Applications for the Assessment of Aviation Hazards, (PDF, 435 KB). Presented at the 5th GOES Users' Conference in New Orleans, LA on 23 January 2008.

Publications

Pryor, K. L., 2012: Microburst Nowcasting Applications of GOES. Preprints, 18th Conference on Satellite Meteorology, Oceanography and Climatology, New Orleans, LA, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Pryor, K.L., 2011: Microburst Nowcasting Applications of GOES, (PDF, 3.47 MB). NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 140.

Pryor, K. L., 2010: Recent developments in microburst nowcasting using GOES. Preprints, 17th Conference on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography, Annapolis, MD, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Pryor, K. L., 2010: Microburst applications of brightness temperature difference between GOES Imager channels 3 and 4. arXiv:1004.3506v1 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2010: A New Graphical Microburst Guidance Product. arXiv:1002.2320v1 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2009: Microburst windspeed potential assessment: progress and recent developments. arXiv:0910.5166v3 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2009: Assessment of GOES imager microburst product over the southwestern United States. arXiv:0904.0446v1 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2009: Microburst windspeed potential assessment: progress and developments. Preprints, 16th Conf. on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography, Phoenix, AZ, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Pryor, K. L., 2008: An Initial Assessment of the GOES Microburst Windspeed Potential Index. Preprints, 5th GOES Users' Conf., New Orleans, LA, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Pryor, K. L., 2007: An Initial Assessment of the GOES Microburst Windspeed Potential Index. arXiv:0710.0603v2 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2007: The GOES Microburst Windspeed Potential Index. arXiv:physics/0703162v4 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2006: A Numerical Model-derived Boundary Layer Turbulence Product. arXiv:physics/0612189v3 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2006: The Development of the College Park Tornado of 24 September 2001. arXiv:physics/0610217v1 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2006: Electrical Behavior of Downburst-Producing Convective Storms over the High Plains. arXiv:physics/0608218v5 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2006: Tropical Cyclone Forecasting Applications of the GOES WMSI. arXiv:physics/0604070v3 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2006: The GOES Hybrid Microburst Index. Preprints, 14th Conf. on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography, Atlanta, GA, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Pryor, K. L., 2006: The Role of Downward Momentum Transport in the Generation of Convective Downbursts. arXiv:physics/0602074v1 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2006: A Study of a Dryline Convective Downburst. arXiv:physics/0601094v2 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L. and G. P. Ellrod, 2005: GOES WMSI-Progress and Developments. Preprints, 21st Conf. on Weather Analysis and Forecasting, Washington, DC, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Pryor, K. L., 2005: Forecasting Convective Downburst Potential Over The United States Great Plains. arXiv:physics/0511245v3 [physics.ao-ph]

Pryor, K. L., 2004: The Development of the College Park Tornado of 24 September 2001. Department of Meteorology, University of Maryland, Theses Archive.

Pryor, K. L. and G. P. Ellrod, 2004: Recent Improvements to the GOES Microburst Products. Weather and Forecasting, 19, No. 3 (June), 582-594.[ 10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019%3C0582:RITTGM%3E2.0.CO;2 ]

Pryor, K. L. and G. P. Ellrod, 2004: WMSI - A New Index for Forecasting Wet Microburst Severity. NWA Electronic Journal of Operational Meteorology.

Pryor, K. L., G. P. Ellrod and A. A. Bailey, 2003: Recent Improvements to the GOES Wind Index. NWA Electronic Journal of Operational Meteorology.

Pryor, K. L., G. P. Ellrod and A. A. Bailey, 2002: Convective Downburst Potential Using GOES Sounder Derived Products. NWA Electronic Journal of Operational Meteorology.

 

E-mail: Ken.Pryor@noaa.gov