March 2026 Newsletter

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Quick Hits (Key Updates At-a-Glance)

• ASOS SCP Update: A routine quarterly SCP update was completed this month, reflecting standard maintenance and data quality adjustments. A summary of changes can be found here.

Recent Activity

MTG Product Prioritization Effort Underway

The Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite system, operated by EUMETSAT, is positioned at 0° longitude and 0° latitude. The MTG-S1 satellite launched on July 1, 2025. This emerging system is expected to support NOAA operations, including tropical storm tracking, improved measurement of Atlantic sea surface temperatures, and enhanced guidance for global forecasting.

NWS is currently gathering input to help prioritize Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) instruments and data products for potential integration into operational workflows. In coordination with NCCF (the NESDIS Common Cloud Framework), which has indicated the ability to adapt existing reformatting capabilities to support MTG data, a working spreadsheet has been developed to capture product needs and preferences across field offices where MTG provides data.

This input will be used to help inform and refine the formal NWS data request, serving as a reference point for identifying high-priority products and guiding future implementation planning. While this is not considered a final set of requirements, it represents an important step in aligning MTG capabilities with operational needs.

VLab Site and Product Baseline Refresh Underway

The TOWR-S Communications team is currently undertaking a refresh of the VLab sites and the product baseline list to improve overall usability and content quality. These updates are focused on archiving outdated or redundant information, elevating clear and mission-critical content for easier access, and ensuring that all pages, links, and resources remain accurate and fully functional.

As this effort progresses, users may notice updates to page content, structure, and available datasets across VLab. This work is intended to create a more streamlined and reliable experience for operational users.

If you encounter any issues, inconsistencies, or have questions during this process, please reach out to Michelle Gaston.

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

OSCAT Winds Became Operational this February

OSCAT Winds data implementation in the NESDIS cloud (NCCF) began operational delivery in February 2026. The OSCAT Winds Product reports measurements of the 10m wind speed and direction above the sea surface by use of scatterometer data.

NWS sites receiving OSCAT data have been relying on a non-operational version via the TOWRpro package, which provides a migrational data flow path from NESDIS STAR to NWS. These sites will be transitioned to the operational production product in the near future, and no change should be apparent in AWIPS, although product availability should somewhat improve.

Please reach out to the TOWR-S Team with any questions.

S-NPP CrIS Instrument Decommissioned Following December 2025 Loss

SNPP CrIS: Instrument was lost on 12/23/2025. An ESPC notification permanently ending the operational use of the S-NPP CrIS instrument was published on February 11, 2026.

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