1. CIMMSE Improving Inland Wind Forecasts October 2011 Project Update

2. Project Focuses This Period
HWind vs. ASOS Station Verification
NDFD Verification: Irene (2011)
ASOS wind data outages?

3. HWind/Observation Station Comparison
Motivation: last conference call, it was suggested to use HWind analyses for NDFD forecast verification
Advantages of HWind analyses:
Data assimilation from multiple sources (METAR, satellite, buoys, etc.)
Gridded data available (much easier to work with)
Disadvantages of HWind analyses:
Gridded data only available since 2000
Different data sources for each storm, based on availability (inter-storm comparison may have bias)
Analysis stops shortly after landfall for most storms
Grid moves with storm (area of interest sometimes outside of HWind domain
Three hour resolution

4. HWind/Observation Station Comparison
NDFD wind data available since 2005
Storms affecting region since 2005:
- Ernesto (2006) -Gabrielle (2007)
Hanna (2008) -Irene (2011)
Cristobal (2008) -Earl (2010)
Can interpolate NDFD/HWind analysis to a common grid and compare to station data

5. HWind Analysis: Irene (2011) 8/27/2011 0130 UTC: Wind Speeds (m/s)

6. HWind - NDFD
Interpolated HWind and NDFD data at each time to common grid
Used latest forecast cycle when making comparisons (eliminate as much as possible track/NHC guidance bias)

7. HWind – NDFD: Irene (2011)

8. HWind – NDFD: Irene (2011)

9. HWind – NDFD (Irene 2011)

10. HWind – NDFD (Irene 2011)

11. HWind – NDFD (Irene 2011)

12. HWind – NDFD (Irene 2011)

13. HWind – NDFD: Irene (2011) Boundaries of WFOs appear in analysis
Raleigh WFO appears to have smallest different between forecast and HWind analysis, at least when comparing to most recent forecast cycles
Strongest overprediction of wind speeds present in coastal regions
Suggests the 33% reduction used by Raleigh forecasters worked well

14. HWind – NDFD: Various Forecast Cycles
Several collaborators have suggested verifying different forecast cycles (inter-forecaster bias)
Examined forecasts issued:
8/25 at 22 UTC (Thursday evening)
8/26 at 10 UTC (Friday morning)
8/26 at 22 UTC (Friday evening)

15. HWind – NDFD: Various Forecast Cycles Forecasted Issued 8/25 at 22 UTC

16. HWind – NDFD: Various Forecast Cycles Forecasted Issued 8/26 at 10 UTC

17. HWind – NDFD: Various Forecast Cycles Forecasted Issued 8/26 at 22 UTC

18. Different Forecast Cycles
Some offices differ rather significantly between forecast cycles versus other offices
Provides further evidence for the lack of scientific processes going into the forecast
Future work will better quantify these differences, relative to the differences in track/intensity forecasts

19. ASOS: Missing Data Effect?
Several collaborators have suggested observation stations can go down during storms
We need to incorporate this influence in developing the climatology
Compared wind data while storm was influencing the region to four days prior

20. ASOS: Missing Data Effect?

21. ASOS: Missing Data Effect?
Up to 45% less data when storm is present
Most reduction for:
Able (1952), Barbara (1953), Connie (1955), Hazel (1954), and Ione (1955)
Temporal element appears to be present
Other noteworthy reductions:
Fran (1996): 11% Floyd (1999): 13%
Bertha (1996): 20% Isabel (2003): 23%
Hanna (2008): 20%

22. Goal for Final Product
It has become clear that a more systematic approach to the land reduction factor and gust factor be developed
Adjustment factor to account for TCM wind inflation (gross)
Distance from storm center
Local topography
Strength of system, speed of propagation
Mesoscale environmental adjustment (thermodynamic factors, etc.)

23. Upcoming goals Gust factors derived for select stations
(similar to analysis of Larry Brown)
Quantitative results for comparing HWind and surface wind obs.
Begin modeling studies (with assistance of Dr. Sukanta Basu)
Other NDFD verification: compare 4 quadrant data to NDFD vs. HWind (added value from forecasters)
Final climatology report (gust factors, Weibull distributions, NDFD verification, Obs. vs. HWind analysis)—to be posted on blog for comments

24. Key areas for discussion
Suggestions for improvement in the TCM tool for GFE developers (led by JB?)
Other ways to verify NDFD forecasts
Irene (2011) forecaster observations/notes
Other suggestions for final product?