NCEP Synergy Meeting
Highlights: January 31, 2011
This meeting was led by David
Novak (HPC) and attended by Geoff DiMego (EMC); John Ward (EMC); Yuejian Zhu
(EMC); Chad Carry (EMC); Jamese Sims; Mary Hart (EMC); Stephen Jascourt
(COMET/UCAR); Bill Bua (COMET/UCAR); Kathy Gilbert (MDL); David Bright (AWC);
Jason Levit (AWC); Steve Silberberg (AWC); Steve Weiss (SPC); Andy Dean (SPC);
Mike Brennan (NHC); Keith Brill (HPC); Ed Danaher (HPC); Joe Sienkiewicz (OPC);
Bill Ward (PR); Bob Ballard (PR); Eugene Petrescu (AR); Ken Pomery (WR); Warren
Blier (WFO MTR); Pete Browning (CR); Bernard Meisner (SR); David Radell (ER), and
Brian Miretzky (ER); Ken Smith (AFWA); John Kelly (NOS); Aiyun Zang (NOS); Frank
Aikman (NOS)
1. NCO (Becky
Cosgrove)
BUFR
Update
Bufrlib
upgrade was implemented on 1/25. The new BUFR format files can be ingested into
AWIPS.
More details available in the TIN. (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/notification/tin10-48bufraaa.htm)
CFS
V2.0
CFSv2.0
has been postponed. New start of the 30-day clock was 1/27. 30-day
evaluation period ends 2/26, with scheduled implementation on 3/8. See: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/notification/tin10-55cfs_aaa.htm
High
Res Window Runs
A
30-day parallel evaluation is expected to start Feb. 3. Implementation is
scheduled for 3/15. The implementation updates the models, and includes physics
changes. The implementation also adds a Guam run and associated products,
changes the
Additionally,
the post-processed product “HREF” will also be added. See below.
NAEFS
NAEFS upgrade
is scheduled for March 8. Changes to NAEFS will be technical in nature,
including:
1) Switch to
CMC's GRIB2 raw ensemble data instead of current GRIB1.
2). Receiving
additional (29 more) CMC's raw forecast variables.
3). bias
corrected additional 13 variables (12 in stratosphere), and produce NAEFS
probabilistic forecast (see attached new products - pink). Existing NAEFS
products should be nearly identical.
The FNMOC
Global Ensemble will not be included in the derived products as mixed
performance was observed upon inclusion. Access to the FNMOC ensemble will be
provided via NOMADS.
For the
latest schedule updates see: http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/changes/
2. NOTES FROM EMC
2a.
Global Climate and Weather Modeling Branch (GCWMB) (John
Ward)
Climate
Forecast System v2.0
A
major upgrade to the Climate Forecast System (CFS v2.0) is expected in March,
2011. The upgrade includes resolution changes, assimilation changes,
atmospheric and ocean model changes, addition of sea-ice and land modeling,
coupling, and other significant changes. Version 1.0 may need to continue
running for some time.
GFS
-Inconsistencies
in the display of MSLP and winds in AWIPS were found to be due to smoothing (by
EMC). This smoothing has been improved.
The
major upgrade to the GFS in August 2010 introduced three biases:
-2
m temp warm bias
-cold
bias in the stratosphere
-low
wind bias
Corrective
changes are expected to be implemented in April 2011.
A
resolution increase, use of a semi-lagrangian model formulation, and possible
physics improvements are expected in FY12.
GSI
Updates
to the datatypes are expected to be made in the April 2011 bundle.
GEFS
Resolution
improvements and physics changes are expected in the summer 2011 timeframe.
Resolution increases from T190L28 to T254L42. The physics will be updated to be
consistent with the current operational GFS.
Hurricane
WRF
Changes
are expected in May. More information should be forthcoming.
2b.
Mesoscale Modeling Branch (MMB) (Geoff DiMego)
High
Resolution Window Runs
A
major upgrade to the High Resolution Window Runs is planned for March
2011. Plans include upgrading the WRF
code version (from v2.2 to v3.2) and adding a twice-per-day (00z & 12z) run
to cover
The upcoming
Q3FY2011 major implementation will transition the WRF-based NMM to a NEMS-based
NMM-B. NEMS = NOAA Environmental
Modeling System which is, in turn, based on the basic principles of ESMF (Earth
System Modeling Framework). NMMB =
Nonhydrostatic Multiscale Model on a B-Grid where multiscale comes from the
fact the NMMB can be run globally or regionally and, with telescoping nests, it
can run with synoptic scale, mesoscale to stormscale grid-spacing. This
transition allows the long-awaited establishment of multiple internal nests: 4
km over CONUS, 6 km over
SREF
A major upgrade to
SREF is planned now for late FY11 which eliminates the members based on the
legacy Eta and RSM models and adds members based on the NEMS-NMMB. Membership will remain at 21 by having 7
members generated each by NMMB, WRF-ARW and WRF-NMM. This upgrade would also
increase resolution from 32-25km to 22-25 km, add a BUFR output, and may
transition to an ensemble perturbation approach. The WRF Development
Testbed Center (DTC) is helping evaluate different initial perturbation
possibilities. The Eta and RSM models will be discontinued, pending all
dependencies on Eta and RSM models can be removed.
HREF
Initial
data from the hybrid ensemble approach of Jun (2004) (http://www.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/SREF/hybrid_50thNWP.pdf)
applied to the high-res window runs is available to NCEP Service Centers. This
involves adding the forecast perturbations from the 21 SREF members to the
Hi-res window NMM and ARW forecasts.
RTMA
3
km Alaska RTMA being established along with an additional domain for the
Post
Processing
SPC
and EMC collaborating to provide
2c.
Marine Modeling and Analysis Branch (Hendrik Tolman)
RTG
SST
Q3
SST of the RTG update planned to include AMSR-E SST data.
Wave
Model
FNMOC
ensemble information is being incorporated for the probabilistic wave
information. This change is expected at the end of FY11.
Additional
major physics upgrade in the wave model is expected at the end of FY11. This is the first major physics upgrade in a
decade and will address some of the known issues of WAVEWATCH III
RTOFS
An
implementation of the RTOFS Global (HYCOM based) is expected in FY11Q4. The
1/12th degree data is now available on NOMADS and in netCDF format.
2d. NOS
NOS has
established the Great Lakes Operational Forecast System (GLOFS) which will be
coming online shortly. Similar models for the Chesapeake Bay, and Tampa Bay are
under development and will become operational soon.
3. FEEDBACK FROM MDL/OPERATIONAL
CENTERS/REGIONS
3a.
MDL (Kathy Gilbert)
-2.5 km CONUS grids are pending work by NCO.
-HRMOS (deterministic and probabilistic MOS QPF) development
is nearing completion.
-Working with HPC and NCO to test prototype Day 8–10
MOS guidance.
3b.
NCO-PMEL
have signed an agreement to support an operational Tsunami model.
4.High Resolution
Ensemble Forecast (HREF) presentation -
Jun Du (EMC)
Initial
data from the hybrid ensemble approach
of Jun (2004) (http://www.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/SREF/hybrid_50thNWP.pdf)
applied to the high-res window runs is available to NCEP Service Centers and
will be an operational product as part of the upcoming SREF implementation.
This involves adding the forecast perturbations from the 21 SREF members to the
Hi-res window NMM and ARW forecasts. Put differently, the product adds the variance
from the SREF to the Hi-res Window runs. Ultimately the end goal is an ensemble
of high-resolution members. Since HREF only uses postprocessing and does not
involve any additional model runs, it can be done now with limited computer
resources. The skill is unknown.
Discussion
focused on establishing objective and subjective evaluation of the products. A
key question is whether the HREF is improved versus the SREF. EMC plans to
start objective verification.
The
distribution mechanism is not yet identified. It was asked whether NCO can set
LDM up to help serve data. This will need to be explored.
5. The next Synergy Meeting will be held at 2:30 pm EST on Monday, February 28, 2011 in room 209, with remote teleconferencing capability.