Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model

WRF NEWS !

(January 2008)

Initialization of these WRFs was changed over to the GFS January 4, 2008

The time stamp problem on some of the graphics has been fixed.

The WEATHER RESEARCH and FORECASTING (WRF) models displayed here are experimental local high resolution mesoscale models, run in real time in collaboration with UAlbany. The models are run at the Research IT (RIT) high performance computing center at UAlbany, and transferred to WFO Albany, New York as part of the CSTAR projects.  They are used experimentally and to support model studies at the Albany, New York, Grey, Maine and Caribou, Maine Weather Forecast Offices and the Center Weather Service Units at Nashua, New Hampshire and Oberlin, Ohio. There are three domains (model areas) in this package. 

The Northeastern US WRF domain covers much of the United States from the Mississippi Valley east, as well as adjacent areas of Canada. This domain is now 15km resolution and is designated D01. It is meant as a big picture overview, and provides hourly output to the inner domains. There are two smaller domains nested inside the large regional domain 

The other two domains are D02 and D03 and they are now both at 5km resolution.
D02 covers Maine and surrounding areas. D03 is the HiRes WRF and covers both the CWSU Oberlin and Nashua service areas as well as much of the area from the Great Lakes to New England. The HiRes domain (D03) is part of an ongoing CSTAR project with the CWSUs at Oberlin and Nshua, New Hampshire, on developing ways to use mesoscale models to improve aviation forecasts, and reduce ground stops and ground delays (the events that keep you stranded in the airport).  This data is included by CWSU meteorologists as part of the forecast process for the air traffic controllers at the Cleveland and Boston Centers.

The WRF uses a variety of state of the art physics and dynamics packages. It is particularly adept at forecasting local effects, due to mountains, coastlines and lakes, winds, as well as localized heavy precipitation. It also is useful in identifying areas where thunderstorms are likely to form first. The D03 domain produces BUFKIT soundings for dozens of locations in the area it covers, and low level wind forecasts are developed from this data.

As of January 2008 these models are initialized and provided boundary conditions by the NCEP 0.5 degree Global Forecasting Model (GFS). Prior to the Spring 2008 convective season surface initialization will be provided by LAPS mesonet high resolution observational data.

This version of the WRF is an ARW core, or MM6 based core.  It is a non-hydrostatic model. It uses the latest Kain-Fristch Convective Parameterization Scheme for the Northeast US outer domain and explicit convection on the inner D02 and D03 nests.

Currently the WRF is run twice per day with a 00 UTC and 12 UTC initialization time. The data on this page is updated as the model runs, so be aware that when you loop the data you may get data from two different runs.  Typically data from the runs begins to reach the web by 615am/pm, and finishes by 2pm/2am EST. 

The following issues remain to be resolved with the graphics:

Freezing Level does not display over bodies of water

Cloud graphics are blank

Please also note the units, as some of the products are produced in metric units. 

This project is managed by Science and Operations Officer Warren R. Snyder and Information Technology Officer Vasil T. Koleci. Address any modeling questions to warren.snyder@noaa.gov .  Problems with the webpage should be addressed to vasil.koleci@noaa.gov .