1. The Developmental Testbed Center (DTC)
Steve Koch, NOAA/FSL
A facility where the NWP research and operational communities interact to accelerate testing and evaluation of new models and techniques for research applications and operational implementation, without interfering with current operations
Unidata presentation
7 February 2005

2. DTC Accomplishments since April 2003
Strong working relationship between central DTC partners (FSL and NCAR), NCEP, and AFWA
Completed the basic WRF Reference Code (including NCEP Nonhydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM) and NCAR Advanced Research WRF (ARW) dynamic cores)
Ported NCEP Post and Verification codes and the NMM to iJet (also transferred to NCAR, NCEP, & AFWA computers) for use in the Test Plan work
SI able to initialize NMM WRF (joint EMC/FSL effort)
Visiting scientist program initiated in summer 2004
Completed WRF Test Plan: WRF EM core implemented at EMC as part of Initial Operating Capability

3. WRF Test Plan: Getting to the NCEP IOC
DTC demonstrated the capabilities of the candidate dynamical cores to qualify them for a 6-member WRF IOC ensemble system to run daily in High Resolution Window (HRW) domains:
= NCEP NMM + NCAR ARW dynamical WRF cores
+ NMM and ARW cores with switched physics packages
+ Model variants using bred Initial / Boundary Conditions
Ensemble should improve accuracy over a single deterministic forecast and a measure of uncertainty
IOC implemented 21 Sept 2004, but with only 2 members (the two dynamical cores without physics swapping). Full 6-member ensemble is scheduled for May 2005 implementation at NCEP.

4. DTC Winter Forecast Experiment (DWFE)
15 January - 31 March 2005

5. DWFE Core Objectives Two primary operational objectives:
Compare Eta-12 to WRF run at 5 km grid spacing with explicit convection (no CP scheme) over CONUS during a winter season
Expose forecasters to future WRF capabilities before WR-NAM
Two primary research objectives:
Do encouraging 4-km BAMEX WRF runs (summer 03, 04) provide forecast value during winter and for longer lead times (~48h) than in BAMEX?
Determine extent to which gravity waves, lake-effect snow, CAD, coastal fronts, etc. can be skillfully forecast

6. DWFE WRF Model Domain
DWFE domain covers the Gulf of Mexico, Canadian cold air source, Gulf Stream, and upstream conditions

7. DWFE WRF Model Configuration
FSL and NCAR are running 2 different versions of WRF:
2 different Dynamical Cores (NMM & ARW)
2 different Physics Packages (NCEP & NCAR)
Explicit Convection (run without CP scheme)
Uses 38 levels, 5-km resolution
Initialized at 0000 UTC, forecasts out to 48 hours
Initial and boundary conditions from operational Eta:
00 UTC Eta212 grids for both runs
These grids have a resolution of 40 km

8. WRF is a modeling system, not a model
WRF is designed so that model configurations can be interchanged easily
WRF makes it easy to:
create new model components
share parameterizations
efficiently transfer research findings to operations
NCEP mixed
KF CP
Kessler MP
NMM core
BMJ
Purdue-Lin
PBL, etc
Grell
EM core
Ferrier MP
This slide is weird…
Explicit
Etc…

9. DWFE WRF Model Physics Suites
Run 1: ARW, NCAR Physics Suite
NOAH 5-layer land-surface model (LSM)
WSM 5-class microphysics
No cumulus parameterization
Yong-Sei University (YSU) PBL
Dudhia shortwave
RRTM longwave
Run 2: WRF-NMM, NCEP Physics Suite
Ferrier microphysics (as in Eta)
Mellor-Yamada-Janjic 2.5 PBL (as in Eta)
Eta (Lacis-Hansen shortwave)
Eta (Fels-Schwartzkopf longwave)

10. DWFE Dissemination of Model Products
FX-Net and AWIPS (by 1400 UTC) offers diagnostic flexibility and ability to see full details
DTC web site (and to JOSS):

11. Forecaster Preparation for the DWFE
An Operational Introduction to the Weather Research & Forecasting (WRF) Modeling System
5-km WRF BMJ
NWS-NCSU CSTAR VISITVIEW PRESENTATION
RFC 10-km analysis
5-km WRF explicit
Gary Lackmann, NCSU
With contributions from
Michael Brennan, Stephen Jascourt, Steve Koch,
Jeff Waldstreicher, Kelly Mahoney, David Novak,
Wei Wang, WRF Tutorial Class & others 1

12. DWFE Verification Activities
On this page will be links to these verification tools:
(1) Grid-to-Point precipitation tool: produced using the FSL Real-Time Verification System (RTVS), this verification tool takes model forecast values and interpolates them to hourly HADS gauge locations. Statistics are provided for whatever models, forecast period, and overall time period one chooses.
(2) VSDB web tool: forecast values are compared with surface and upper-air rawinsonde observations that are gathered by NCEP for performing their next model analysis. Statistics will also be available for Grid-to-Grid precipitation.
(3) Ebert-McBride Grid-to-Grid precipitation tool: an entity-based approach, which decomposes the total forecast error into such components as displacement, volume, and pattern error of Contiguous Rain Areas. Technique was applied by FSL to verification of mesoscale convective systems in IHOP.

13. Eta-12
WRF-ARW
RTVS precipitation verification of 6-h forecasts over the entire DWFE domain 10 Jan - 2 Feb 2005
WRF-NMM

14. Eta-12
WRF-ARW
RTVS precipitation verification of 24-h forecasts over the entire DWFE domain 10 Jan - 2 Feb 2005
WRF-NMM

15. DWFE uses the NCEP Verification System

16. DWFE uses the NCEP Verification System

17. Archival of DWFE Model Runs
We are archiving the 3-hourly output files from both the ARW and NMM runs on the NCAR MSS at full model resolution on a daily basis for use in future research studies.
We are archiving two types of output files for each model:
1) wrfout files
NETCDF format
Raw model output on its native grid
2) post-processed files (meso.AWPDWFE)
GRIB format
Model fields run through NCEP post processor
Post processor interpolates raw output to constant pressure surfaces and then to a common horizontal grid

18. Examples of Phenomena Forecast by DWFE WRF Models
FSL is also making available on its FX-Net system the ability to display the 8-10 km High-Resolution Window (HRW) domain WRF model runs from NCEP

19. Lake Effect Snowbands: 17 January 2005

20. KBUF 1835Z Base Reflectivity
WRF-ARW 18h Forecast
Precipitation for 1800 UTC
KBUF 1835Z Base Reflectivity

21. hPa Lapse Rates
Forecast by NMM at 1200 UTC
WRF-NMM 18h Forecast
Precipitation for 1800 UTC

22. Narrow Reflectivity Bands: 23 January 2005

23. ARW 3-h forecast Composite Reflectivity
Lake-effect snowbands
Lake-effect snowbands
Narrow Cold-Frontal Rainband
Narrow Cold-Frontal Rainband
0600 UTC Radar Mosaic

24. Topographically forced Snowbands in Blizzard of 23 January 2005

25. Total Snow Accumulation
Hudson Valley
CT River Valley

26. WRF-ARW 00Z 22Jan05 F24

27. WRF-ARW 00Z 22Jan05 F27
988

28. WRF-ARW 00Z 22Jan05 F30
982

29. STMAS 5-km Surface Mesoanalysis for 0300 UTC
995

30. Curiosities: Potential Vorticity Streamers Downwind of Mountain Peaks 2 February 2005

31. 700 hPa Vertical Vorticity from 12h WRF-NMM Forecast

32. Curiosities: Reflectivity Structures in Marine Boundary Layer 23 January 2005

33. Mesoscale Cellular Convection
Cloud Streets
Marine Stratus
Mesoscale Cellular Convection

34. Curiosities: Diabatically-generated Mesovortex over Lake Erie 22 January 2005

35. STMAS Analysis for 1900 UTC 22Jan05

36. ARW-5 18h Forecast for 1800 UTC 22Jan05

37. Eta-12 18h Forecast for 1800 UTC 22Jan05

38. Concluding Statements
The DTC is producing a very large set of valuable and accessible high-resolution model data for numerical modeling and mesoscale process research studies.
The DTC is creating a unique and powerful infrastructure for the research community to participate in the testing and evaluation of contributed model codes with the potential to lead to future operational improvements.