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Daniel Nietfeld, Chief of the Evaluation and Decision Support (EDS) Division
Profile Daniel is the Chief of the Weather Informatics and Decision Support (WIDS) Division at GSL. His background is rooted in integrating science (physical science and social science) into operational meteorology. Prior to coming to GSL in 2016, Daniel worked for 25 years in the National Weather Service (NWS), including 15 years as a Science and Operations Office (SOO). As a SOO, Daniel trained forecasters and infused cutting-edge research (including research coming out of GSL!) into operational decision support, forecasting, and warning services. Between his tenure as a SOO and coming to GSL, Daniel did two details, first at the NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) as the Development and Training Branch Chief and then with the NESDIS/GOES-R Program as the Deputy Team Lead for Product Readiness and Operations. His background also includes a number of leadership, policy, and training activities as well as collaborations with academic, private, and international partners. Daniel taught for 13 years as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Creighton University, where he taught classes in Mesoscale Meteorology, Severe Storms Meteorology, Radar Remote Sensing, Satellite Remote Sensing, and NWP. He has a passion for understanding the weather-related information needs of decision-makers, and conducting O2R2O to meet those needs through research, development, and operationalizing relevant policies, tools, systems, and applications.
Roles
WIDS Division Chief
Liaison to the National Weather Service
Research Interests
Extreme and high-impact weather
Predictability
Mesoscale meteorology and mesoanalysis
Radar and satellite remote sensing
Wildfire environment
Data fusion
Information system design and development
Forecaster-oriented and impact-based verification
Social science research related to risk communication and decision-making
Communication of forecast uncertainty and confidence information
Professional NOAA Activities NOAA/OAR/Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) Aug 2021 to present
Chief, Evaluation and Decision Support (EDS) Division
NOAA/OAR/Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) Apr 2016 to Aug 2021
Liaison to the National Weather Service (NWS) and
Deputy Chief, Evaluation and Decision Support (EDS) Division and
Chief, Weather Information Systems Evolution (WISE) Branch
NOAA/NESDIS/GOES-R Program Dec 2015 to Apr 2016
Deputy Team Lead for Product Readiness and Operations
NOAA/National Weather Service/Weather Prediction Center Jun 2015 to Oct 2015
Branch Chief: Development and Training Branch (DTB)
NOAA/National Weather Service/WFO Omaha, Nebraska May 2001 to Apr 2016
Science and Operations Officer (SOO)
NOAA/NWS/WFO Hastings, Nebraska Jan 1998 to May 2001
Senior Forecaster
NOAA/NWS/WFO Topeka, Kansas Jun 1994 to Jan 1998
General Forecaster
NOAA/NWS/WSO Grand Island, Nebraska Sep 1992 to Jun 1994
Meteorologist Intern
NOAA/NWS/WSMO Neenah, Wisconsin May 1991 to Sep 1992
Meteorologist Intern/Radar Specialist
Professional University Activities Creighton University Aug 2009-May 2015 Department of Atmospheric Science
Adjunct Faculty Instructor:
Numerical Weather Prediction (ATS 631)
Radar Remote Sensing (ATS 544)
Satellite Remote Sensing (ATS 542)
Mesoscale Meteorology (ATS 545)
University of Nebraska Lincoln Jan 2002 to May 2014 Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Adjunct Faculty Instructor:
Severe Storms Meteorology (METR 451/851)
Honors and Awards US DOC Bronze Medal (Co-recipient) 2012
For decision support services provided to USACE during the historic Missouri River flooding of 2011
US DOC Bronze Medal (Co-recipient) 2008
For warning and forecasts provided during a blizzard in 2007
US DOC Bronze Medal (Co-recipient) 2006
For warning and forecasts provided during a blizzard and ice storm in 2005
US DOC Silver Medal (Co-recipient) 2005
For warning services provided during the 54-mile track F4 tornado event that devastated the town of Hallam, Nebraska and surrounding area
Education
1990 Bachelor of Science – Meteorology The University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Mentoring experience
Mentored over 100 High School, Undergraduate, and Graduate students since 1999
Mentor for NOAA Mentoring Program 2009, 2011, 2016, current session
University of Nebraska Lincoln Alumni Mentoring activities 1999-present
Mentor for AMS Speed Networking for Students and Early Career Professionals 2014-2017
Scientific Advancement and Education Activities
NOAA Central Region Collaboration Team “Meeting of the R2D Minds” Group 2021-present
Co-Investigator for USWRP CAM Ensemble Project (with NCAR) 2018-present
Co-Lead of the Warn-on-Forecast Bridging Across Events Workshop 2020
Co-Investigator for USWRP WRF-Hydro Project (with PSD) 2014-2016
AMS Summer Policy Colloquium 2017
Developed the AWIPS2 Testbed System (TOAX) at NWS WFO Omaha 2013-2016
Developed and coordinated all R2O/O2R TOAX activities
Led all R2O/O2R projects including external participant evaluations
Active in GOES-R/JPSS Proving Ground (PG) Projects 2009-2016
Invited presenter at PG Conferences (2009 through 2015)
Co-PI for HWT NUCAPS Evaluation 2015 HWT EWP
Co-PI for 2-year COMET GOES-R Cooperative Project with UNL
Co-Investigator for JPSSPG/RR NUCAPS Project
Team Member: Science & Technology Plan of the NWS Roadmap 2011-2012
Invited Participant at “Weather-Ready Nation” Meeting – Norman, OK 12/2011
Lead Instructor: COMET/MSC Winter Weather Residence Courses 2011-2014
Participant in NSSL HWT Experimental Warning Programs 2009, 2011, 2015
NCAR/Societal Impacts Program/Weather and Society Integrated Studies Program:
Chair of Advisory Committee and Lead Instructor 2010-2011
Member of Advisory Committee and Lead Instructor 2009
Workshop Participant 2008
NOAA Service Assessment Team Member – Super Tuesday Outbreak 2008-2009
NOAA Service Assessment Team Member – Hurricane Charley 2004-2005
Organizer/Leader Omaha Integrated Warning Team Workshop 09/2009
Vice President, High Plains AMS/NWA Chapter 2000-2001
Committee Chair, 4th Annual High Plans AMS/NWA Conference 2000
President, UNL Alumni Advisory Board 2010-2012
Member, UNL Alumni Advisory Board 1999-present
Participant/Presenter, NWS Severe Weather Technology Workshop 2005, 2007
Formal reviewer for 17 peer-reviewed journal articles
Selected Publications: Stuart, Neil, Gail Hartfield, David M. Schultz, Katie Wilson, Gregory West, Robert Hoffman, Gary Lackmann, Harold Brooks, Paul Roebber, Teresa Bals-Elsholz, Holly Obermeier, Falko Judt, Patrick Market, Daniel Nietfeld, Bruce Telfeyan, Dan DePodwin, Jeffrey Fries, Elliot Abrams, Jerry Shields, 2022: The Evolving Role of Humans in Weather Prediction and Communication. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., in review
Demuth, Julie, Rebecca E. Morss, Isidora Jankov, Trevor I. Alcott, Curtis R. Alexander, Daniel Nietfeld, Tara L. Jensen, David R. Novak, Stanley G. Benjamin, 2020: Recommendations for developing useful and usable convection-allowing model ensemble guidance for NWS forecasters. Weather and Forecasting
Apke, Jason, Daniel Nietfeld, and Mark Anderson, 2015: Environmental Analysis of GOES-R Proving Ground Convective Initiation Algorithms. J. Appl. Meteor
Nietfeld, Daniel: Station Scientists: Overcoming the Boundaries Between Meteorological and Societal Impacts Research. NCAR Societal Impacts Program: Weather and Society Watch Newsletter. Vol. 4 Number 1, 2009
Mayes, Barb, Jay Martinelli, and Daniel Nietfeld: A detailed analysis of the nocturnal QLCS tornadoes that moved though Omaha, Nebraska on 8 June 2008. 23rd Conference on Weather and Forecasting. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2009
Nietfeld, Daniel: The extremely complex airspace over Memphis during the 5 February 2008 tornado outbreak. Aviation, Range and Aerospace Meteorology Special Symposium on Weather-Air Traffic Management Integration. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2009
Martinelli, Jay, Van DeWald, Daniel Nietfeld, H. Holmes, and R. Caniglia: The impact of an enhanced damage analysis on determining the damaging wind mechanism within the 20 August 2007 bow echo across eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa. 24th Conference on Severe Local Storms. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2008
Nietfeld, Daniel: Findings of the four-dimensional storm cell investigator alpha test at WFO Omaha-Valley during the 2007 convective season. 24th Conference on Interactive Information and Processing Systems. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2008
Stuart, Neil A., Partick S Market, Bruce Telfeyan, Gary M Lackmann, Kenneth Carey, Harold E Brooks, Daniel Nietfeld, Brian C Motta, Ken Reeves, 2007: The Future of Humans in an Increasingly Automated Forecast Process. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 87, 1497-1502.
Nietfeld, Daniel: The utility of three-dimensional radar displays in severe weather warning operations. 23rd Conference on Severe Local Storms. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2006
Koch, Steven E., Robert Gall, Geoff DiMego, Ed Szoke, Jeff Waldstreicher, Pete Manousos, Bernard Meisner, N. Seaman, Mark Jackson, Randy Graham, Andy Edman, and Daniel Nietfeld: Lessons Learned from the DTC Winter Forecast Experiment. 21st Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/17th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2005
Nietfeld, Daniel: Operationally useful parameters viewed in three-dimensions during winter storms and severe thunderstorm outbreaks. 21st International Conference on Interactive Information Processing Systems. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2005
Nietfeld, Daniel: Learning from a null derecho event—the convective forecast for 08 July 2003. 20th Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/16th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2004
Page, Elizabeth M., Daniel Nietfeld, and Tim Alberta: Integrating D3D into National Weather Service science and training activities. 19th International Conference on Interactive Information and Processing Systems. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2003
Nietfeld, Daniel: The synoptic environment of the 11 April 2001 Central Plains tornado outbreak viewed in three dimensions. 19th International Conference on Interactive Information and Processing Systems. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2003
Nietfeld, Daniel: Redirection of Computer Resources to Enhance Severe Weather Operations in the Central Region: The Utilization of the DRT Linux PC as a Fifth AWIPS Workstation. 18th International Conference on Interactive Information and Processing Systems. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2002
