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Darrel Kingfield
325 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80305-3328
Profile
Dr. Kingfield serves as a Senior Scientist in the Weather Informatics and Decision Support (WIDS) Division where he is focused on increasing the impact of services for decision makers through the development of new hazardous weather alerting systems, decision-support services tools, and implementing hazardous weather warning service improvements for the National Weather Service (NWS), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Meteorological Watch Offices (MWOs), Tsunami Warning Centers (TWCs), and international weather organizations.
Education
- Ph.D., Geography, University of Oklahoma, May 2017
- M.S., Geoinformatics, University of Oklahoma, August 2010
- B.S., Synoptic Meteorology, Purdue University, May 2006
Experience
- 2020 - Present, Research Physical Scientist, NOAA/Global Systems Laboratory
2018 - 2020, Research Scientist II, NOAA/Global Systems Laboratory - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)
2017-2018, Research Scientist II, NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) - Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS)
2012-2017, Warning Research Associate, NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) - Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS)
2007-2012, Research Associate, NOAA/Warning Decision Training Division (WDTD) - Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS)
Honors and Awards
-
Dec. 2022 - 2022 Governor's Awards for High-Impact Research - The Pathfinding Partnerships Award
Citation: "This nomination recognizes the quick-response science and service conducted by a set of pathfinding partners at the first signs, during and after the Marshall Fire roared through Superior and Louisville, Colorado, at the end of 2021. A diverse team of researchers set to work immediately, collaborating seamlessly to figure out how to serve citizens in the short term as well as in the long term with weather and fire assessments and data. Partners from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES) , CU Boulder’s Mechanical Engineering and Geography departments, the NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, the NOAA Global Systems Laboratory, the NOAA National Weather Service, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) helped ordinary people make extraordinary decisions, and their ongoing research promises to help guide wildfire response and mitigation long into the future." Individual Role: Hazard Services Program Manager and AWIPS Test Authorization Note (ATAN) transition lead of the Hazard Services software to the National Weather Service Denver/Boulder Office with this software being used to issue the critical High Wind Warning 7 hours before the fire started.
Aug. 2022 - National Weather Association Larry R. Johnson Award (Group Award)
Citation: "For showing exceptional perseverance to mitigate roadblocks caused by the pandemic so NWS offices could evaluate the software and gain confidence to use Hazard Services." Individual Role: Hazard Services Program Manager and lead of the AWIPS Test Authorization Note (ATAN) process getting new Hazard Services software and capabilities to NWS forecast offices during the pandemic.
Jun. 2022 - NOAA Employee of the Month
Citation: "Dr. Darrel Kingfield is the Hazard Services Program Manager in the OAR Global Systems Laboratory located in Boulder, Colorado. During a long period of pandemic-driven uncertainty, Dr. Kingfield skillfully evaluated and helped implement Hazard Services workflow functions on the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), the system that enables forecast and warning operations at NWS Weather Forecast Offices. Due in no small part to Dr. Kingfield’s efforts, confidence in the Hazard Services software grew by the middle of the 2020-2021 winter season so that offices began issuing operational winter weather watches, warnings, and advisories from the AWIPS Hazard Services function to alert the public of imminent threats. By early spring of 2021, many offices also were operationally using Hazard Services Winter Weather and Non-Precipitation weather workflows. Ultimately, Dr. Kingfield’s field work, persistence, and dedication has helped get critical weather information and warnings to the public, saving property and lives. "
Aug. 2018 - National Weather Association Larry R. Johnson Award (Group Award)
Citation: “For creating the Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground (mPING) application which improved forecast operations by significantly increasing the number, quality, and type of ground-truth weather observations.” Individual Role: Member of development team tasked with developing the database architecture to store the mPING reports.
Sep. 2016 - National Weather Association Larry R. Johnson Award (Group Award)
Citation: “For research, development, and delivery of severe weather applications which have been successfully transitioned into NWS operations, providing critical tools for NWS forecasts and warnings.” Individual Role: Researcher and group developer of the Multiple-Radar/Multiple-Sensor (MRMS) severe weather suite of products and AWIPS-transition focal point for the migration of products to NWS offices and national centers.
Oct. 2015 - National Weather Association Larry R. Johnson Award (Group Award)
Citation: “For long-term and meritorious contributions to operational meteorology, and serving as a unique portal for research to operations” Individual Role: First developer to design and implement a flexible, geopolitically agnostic, real-time or displaced real-time, Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) framework capable of ingesting operational product sets alongside experiment products for side-by-side evaluations in NOAA's Hazardous Weather Testbed since 2008.
Sep. 2015 - U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal for Science/Engineering Achievement (Group Award)
Citation: “For successful transition of the Multi-Radar, Multi-Sensor (MR/MS) system into operations to provide critical radar-based products to forecast weather hazards.”
Individual Role: Lead Engineer in the design and implementation of the MR/MS 1 km and 500 m gridded products into the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) software environment.
Publications
Eure, K. C., D. J. Stensrud, Y. Zhang, M. R. Kumjian, and D. M. Kingfield, 2025: Simultaneous Assimilation of Dual-Polarization Radar and All-Sky Satellite Observations to Improve Convection Forecasts. Mon. Wea. Rev. Accepted.
Kingfield, D. M., and M. M. French, 2022: The Influence of WSR-88D Intra-Volume Scanning Strategies on Thunderstorm Observations and Warnings in the Dual-Polarization Radar Era: 2011–20. Wea. Forecasting, 37, 283–301. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-21-0127.1
Segall, J. H., M. M. French, D. M. Kingfield, S. D. Loeffler, M. R. Kumjian, 2022: Storm-Scale Polarimetric Radar Signatures Associated with Tornado Dissipation in Supercells. Wea. Forecasting, 37, 3–21. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-21-0067.1
Calhoun, K. M., K. L. Berry, D. M. Kingfield, T. Meyer, M. J. Krocak, T. M. Smith, G. Stumpf, and A. Gerard, 2021: The Experimental Warning Program of NOAA’s Hazardous Weather Testbed. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 102, E2229–E2246. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-21-0017.1
French, M. M., and D. M. Kingfield, 2021: Tornado Formation and Intensity Prediction Using Polarimetric Radar Estimates of Updraft Area. Wea. Forecasting. 36, 2211–2231. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-21-0087.1
Tuftedal, K. S., M. M. French, D. M. Kingfield, and J. C. Snyder, 2021: Observed Bulk Hook Echo Drop Size Distribution Evolution in Supercell Tornadogenesis and Tornadogenesis Failure. Mon. Wea. Rev., 149, 2539-2557. doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-20-0353.1
McKeown, K. E., M. M. French, K. S. Tuftedal, D. M. Kingfield, H. B. Bluestein, D. W. Reif, and Z. B. Wienhoff 2020: Rapid-Scan and Polarimetric Radar Observations of the Dissipation of a Violent Tornado on 9 May 2016 Near Sulphur, Oklahoma. Mon. Wea. Rev., 148, 3951-3971, doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-20-0033.1.
Li, J., T. Yu, I. Javed, C. Siddagunta, R. Pakpahan, M. E. Langston, L. K. Dennis, D. M. Kingfield, D. J. Moore, G. L. Andriole, H. H. Lai, G. A. Colditz, and S. Sutcliffe, 2020: Does weather trigger urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome flares? A case‐crossover analysis in the multidisciplinary approach to the study of the chronic pelvic pain research network. Neurourology and Urodynamics. 39, 1494–1504, doi: 10.1002/nau.24381.
Mahalik, M. C., B. R. Smith, K. L. Elmore, D. M. Kingfield, K. L. Ortega, and T. M. Smith, 2019: Estimates of Gradients in Radar Moments Using a Linear Least Squares Derivative Technique. Wea. Forecasting, 34, 415–434, doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-18-0095.1.
French, M.M. and D.M. Kingfield, 2019: Dissipation Characteristics of Tornadic Vortex Signatures Associated with Long-Duration Tornadoes. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 58, 317–339. doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-18-0187.1.
Kingfield, D.M. and J.C. Picca, 2018: Development of an Operational Convective Nowcasting Algorithm Using Raindrop Size Sorting Information from Polarimetric Radar Data. Wea. Forecasting, 33, 1477–1495. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-18-0025.1.
Kingfield, D.M., K.M. Calhoun, K.M. de Beurs, and G.M. Henebry, 2018: Effects of City Size on Thunderstorm Evolution Revealed through a Multiradar Climatology of the Central United States. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 57, 295–317. doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-16-0341.1.
Kingfield, D. M., K. M. Calhoun, and K. M. de Beurs, 2018: Antenna structures and cloud‐to‐ground lightning location: 1995–2015. Geophys. Res. Let., 44, 5203-5212. doi: 10.1002/2017GL073449.
Kingfield, D. M. and K. M. de Beurs, 2017: Landsat Identification of Tornado Damage by Land Cover and an Evaluation of Damage Recovery in Forests. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 56, 965-987. doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-16-0228.1.
Wilson, K.A., P.L. Heinselman, C.M. Kuster, D.M. Kingfield, and Z. Kang, 2017: Forecaster Performance and Workload: Does Radar Update Time Matter?. Wea. Forecasting, 32, 253–274. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-16-0157.1.
Hwang, Y., T-Y Yu, V. Lakshmanan, D. M. Kingfield, D-I Lee, and C-H. You, 2017: Neuro-Fuzzy Gust Front Detection Algorithm with S-Band Polarimetric Radar. IEEE Trans. Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 55, 1618-1628. doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2016.2628520.
Smith, T. M., V. Lakshmanan, G. J. Stumpf, K. L. Ortega, K. Hondl, K. Cooper, K. M. Calhoun, D. M. Kingfield, K. L. Manross, R. Toomey, and J. Brogden, 2016: Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) Severe Weather and Aviation Products: Initial Operating Capabilities. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 97, 1617-1630. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-14-00173.1.
Karstens, C.D., G. Stumpf, C. Ling, L. Hua, D. Kingfield, T.M. Smith, J. Correia, K. Calhoun, K. Ortega, C. Melick, and L.P. Rothfusz, 2015: Evaluation of a Probabilistic Forecasting Methodology for Severe Convective Weather in the 2014 Hazardous Weather Testbed. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 1551–1570. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00163.1.
Jiang, H., S. Albers, Y. Xie, Z. Toth, I. Jankov, M. Scotten, J. Picca, G. Stumpf, D. Kingfield, D. Birkenheuer, and B. Motta, 2015: Real-Time Applications of the Variational Version of the Local Analysis and Prediction System (vLAPS). Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 96, 2045–2057. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00185.1.
Lakshmanan, V., B. Herzog, and D. Kingfield, 2015: A Method for Extracting Postevent Storm Tracks. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 54, 451-462. doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0132.1
Kingfield, D. M., and J. G. LaDue, 2015: The Relationship between Automated Low-Level Velocity Calculations from the WSR-88D and Maximum Tornado Intensity Determined from Damage Surveys. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 1125-1139. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00096.1.
Bowden, K.A., P.L. Heinselman, D.M. Kingfield, and R.P. Thomas, 2015: Impacts of Phased-Array Radar Data on Forecaster Performance during Severe Hail and Wind Events. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 389–404. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00101.1.
Heinselman, P., D. LaDue, D. M. Kingfield, and R. Hoffman, 2015: Tornado Warning Decisions Using Phased-Array Radar Data. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 57–78. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00042.1.
Calhoun, K.M., T.M. Smith, D.M. Kingfield, J. Gao, and D.J. Stensrud, 2014: Forecaster Use and Evaluation of Real-Time 3DVAR Analyses during Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Warning Operations in the Hazardous Weather Testbed. Wea. Forecasting, 29, 601–613. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-13-00107.1.
Smith, T.M., J. Gao, K.M. Calhoun, D.J. Stensrud, K.L. Manross, K.L. Ortega, C. Fu, D.M. Kingfield, K.L. Elmore, V. Lakshmanan, and C. Riedel, 2014: Examination of a Real-Time 3DVAR Analysis System in the Hazardous Weather Testbed. Wea. Forecasting, 29, 63–77. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-13-00044.1.
Kingfield, D. M., and M. M. French, 2022: The Influence of WSR-88D Intra-Volume Scanning Strategies on Thunderstorm Observations and Warnings in the Dual-Polarization Radar Era: 2011–20. Wea. Forecasting, 37, 283–301. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-21-0127.1
Segall, J. H., M. M. French, D. M. Kingfield, S. D. Loeffler, M. R. Kumjian, 2022: Storm-Scale Polarimetric Radar Signatures Associated with Tornado Dissipation in Supercells. Wea. Forecasting, 37, 3–21. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-21-0067.1
Calhoun, K. M., K. L. Berry, D. M. Kingfield, T. Meyer, M. J. Krocak, T. M. Smith, G. Stumpf, and A. Gerard, 2021: The Experimental Warning Program of NOAA’s Hazardous Weather Testbed. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 102, E2229–E2246. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-21-0017.1
French, M. M., and D. M. Kingfield, 2021: Tornado Formation and Intensity Prediction Using Polarimetric Radar Estimates of Updraft Area. Wea. Forecasting. 36, 2211–2231. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-21-0087.1
Tuftedal, K. S., M. M. French, D. M. Kingfield, and J. C. Snyder, 2021: Observed Bulk Hook Echo Drop Size Distribution Evolution in Supercell Tornadogenesis and Tornadogenesis Failure. Mon. Wea. Rev., 149, 2539-2557. doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-20-0353.1
McKeown, K. E., M. M. French, K. S. Tuftedal, D. M. Kingfield, H. B. Bluestein, D. W. Reif, and Z. B. Wienhoff 2020: Rapid-Scan and Polarimetric Radar Observations of the Dissipation of a Violent Tornado on 9 May 2016 Near Sulphur, Oklahoma. Mon. Wea. Rev., 148, 3951-3971, doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-20-0033.1.
Li, J., T. Yu, I. Javed, C. Siddagunta, R. Pakpahan, M. E. Langston, L. K. Dennis, D. M. Kingfield, D. J. Moore, G. L. Andriole, H. H. Lai, G. A. Colditz, and S. Sutcliffe, 2020: Does weather trigger urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome flares? A case‐crossover analysis in the multidisciplinary approach to the study of the chronic pelvic pain research network. Neurourology and Urodynamics. 39, 1494–1504, doi: 10.1002/nau.24381.
Mahalik, M. C., B. R. Smith, K. L. Elmore, D. M. Kingfield, K. L. Ortega, and T. M. Smith, 2019: Estimates of Gradients in Radar Moments Using a Linear Least Squares Derivative Technique. Wea. Forecasting, 34, 415–434, doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-18-0095.1.
French, M.M. and D.M. Kingfield, 2019: Dissipation Characteristics of Tornadic Vortex Signatures Associated with Long-Duration Tornadoes. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 58, 317–339. doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-18-0187.1.
Kingfield, D.M. and J.C. Picca, 2018: Development of an Operational Convective Nowcasting Algorithm Using Raindrop Size Sorting Information from Polarimetric Radar Data. Wea. Forecasting, 33, 1477–1495. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-18-0025.1.
Kingfield, D.M., K.M. Calhoun, K.M. de Beurs, and G.M. Henebry, 2018: Effects of City Size on Thunderstorm Evolution Revealed through a Multiradar Climatology of the Central United States. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 57, 295–317. doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-16-0341.1.
Kingfield, D. M., K. M. Calhoun, and K. M. de Beurs, 2018: Antenna structures and cloud‐to‐ground lightning location: 1995–2015. Geophys. Res. Let., 44, 5203-5212. doi: 10.1002/2017GL073449.
Kingfield, D. M. and K. M. de Beurs, 2017: Landsat Identification of Tornado Damage by Land Cover and an Evaluation of Damage Recovery in Forests. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 56, 965-987. doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-16-0228.1.
Wilson, K.A., P.L. Heinselman, C.M. Kuster, D.M. Kingfield, and Z. Kang, 2017: Forecaster Performance and Workload: Does Radar Update Time Matter?. Wea. Forecasting, 32, 253–274. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-16-0157.1.
Hwang, Y., T-Y Yu, V. Lakshmanan, D. M. Kingfield, D-I Lee, and C-H. You, 2017: Neuro-Fuzzy Gust Front Detection Algorithm with S-Band Polarimetric Radar. IEEE Trans. Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 55, 1618-1628. doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2016.2628520.
Smith, T. M., V. Lakshmanan, G. J. Stumpf, K. L. Ortega, K. Hondl, K. Cooper, K. M. Calhoun, D. M. Kingfield, K. L. Manross, R. Toomey, and J. Brogden, 2016: Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) Severe Weather and Aviation Products: Initial Operating Capabilities. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 97, 1617-1630. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-14-00173.1.
Karstens, C.D., G. Stumpf, C. Ling, L. Hua, D. Kingfield, T.M. Smith, J. Correia, K. Calhoun, K. Ortega, C. Melick, and L.P. Rothfusz, 2015: Evaluation of a Probabilistic Forecasting Methodology for Severe Convective Weather in the 2014 Hazardous Weather Testbed. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 1551–1570. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00163.1.
Jiang, H., S. Albers, Y. Xie, Z. Toth, I. Jankov, M. Scotten, J. Picca, G. Stumpf, D. Kingfield, D. Birkenheuer, and B. Motta, 2015: Real-Time Applications of the Variational Version of the Local Analysis and Prediction System (vLAPS). Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 96, 2045–2057. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00185.1.
Lakshmanan, V., B. Herzog, and D. Kingfield, 2015: A Method for Extracting Postevent Storm Tracks. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 54, 451-462. doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0132.1
Kingfield, D. M., and J. G. LaDue, 2015: The Relationship between Automated Low-Level Velocity Calculations from the WSR-88D and Maximum Tornado Intensity Determined from Damage Surveys. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 1125-1139. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00096.1.
Bowden, K.A., P.L. Heinselman, D.M. Kingfield, and R.P. Thomas, 2015: Impacts of Phased-Array Radar Data on Forecaster Performance during Severe Hail and Wind Events. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 389–404. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00101.1.
Heinselman, P., D. LaDue, D. M. Kingfield, and R. Hoffman, 2015: Tornado Warning Decisions Using Phased-Array Radar Data. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 57–78. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00042.1.
Calhoun, K.M., T.M. Smith, D.M. Kingfield, J. Gao, and D.J. Stensrud, 2014: Forecaster Use and Evaluation of Real-Time 3DVAR Analyses during Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Warning Operations in the Hazardous Weather Testbed. Wea. Forecasting, 29, 601–613. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-13-00107.1.
Smith, T.M., J. Gao, K.M. Calhoun, D.J. Stensrud, K.L. Manross, K.L. Ortega, C. Fu, D.M. Kingfield, K.L. Elmore, V. Lakshmanan, and C. Riedel, 2014: Examination of a Real-Time 3DVAR Analysis System in the Hazardous Weather Testbed. Wea. Forecasting, 29, 63–77. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-13-00044.1.