ATM 419/563 - Applications of Numerical Weather Prediction, Spring 2024

This page is: https://www.atmos.albany.edu/facstaff/rfovell/NWP/
The numerical methods course (ATM 562) web page is: https://www.atmos.albany.edu/facstaff/rfovell/ATM562/

The 2023 NWP class webpage is here. Links will break and/or content will become inconsistent as this page is updated.

Course information

Course syllabus (version of 14 January 2024; check for updates)

Mac users: You need XQuartz to view outputs from NCL and ncview. The latest version has an issue. This older version works correctly: https://www.xquartz.org/releases/XQuartz-2.8.3.html

Running the WRF modeling system on a Mac and Jupyter

• WRF on Mac and Jupyter page (page started 12/9/23)
  

Course materials for 2024

Introduction

• Course overview (PPTX) [WARNING: 150+ MB file] (version of 1/17/24)
  
• Introduction to Unix, WRF-Python, and the Snow cluster (PPT) (updated 1/22/24)
  

WRF/WPS workflow demonstration

• Workflow demo script (PDF) (posted 1/22/24)
  

Final project proposal

• Final project proposal (PDF) (due Thursday, Feb. 22)
  

Idealized WRF: Supercell storm (in-class demo)

• Supercell in-class demo (PPTX) (updated 1/25/24)
  
• Supercell script (PDF) (posted 1/25/24)
  

Plotting demo and tasks

• Plotting in-class exercise (PPTX) (posted 1/29/24)
  
• Plotting demo script (PDF) (updated 1/30/24)
  
• Plotting demo script addendum (PDF) (posted 2/1/24)
  

Real-data SNOW test case: Setup and run, Geogrid assignment, and Experiment #1 [This task operates on the Snow cluster]

• WRF real test case: Setup and run (PPTX) (reposted 2/7/24 for Snow cluster application)
  
• WRF real test case script (PDF) (reposted 2/7/24 for Snow cluster application)
  
• Running WRF REAL in Spring 2024 (PDF) (posted 2/4/24)
  
• Geogrid and map projection assignment (PDF) (posted 2/5/24; due by Thursday, Feb. 15.)
  
• Experiment #1 (PPTX) (posted 2/12/24; due by Thursday, Feb. 22.)
  

Planetary boundary layer and surface layer parameterizations

• PBL highlights: theory (PPTX) (updated 2/19/24)
  
• PBL highlights: implementation (PPTX) (posted 2/13/24)
  
• PBL demonstration and ensemble contribution (PPTX) (posted 2/19/24)
  
• PBL demonstration script (PDF) (posted 2/19/24)
  
• PBL ensemble assignments (PDF) (posted 2/19/24)
  
• PBL ensemble results (PPTX) (reposted 2/28/24)
  

Older materials for reference

• PBL slides - Part 1 (PPTX) (posted 2/13/24)
  
• PBL slides - Part 2 (PPTX) (posted 2/13/24)
  
• PBL slides - Part 3 (PPTX) (posted 2/16/24)
  

The Real-data WRF Checklist

• The real-data WRF checklist (PDF) (posted 2/26/24)
  

Boulder windstorm case and Experiment #2 (Part 1 due 3/7, Part 2 due 3/12)

• Windstorm overview and experiment (PPT) (updated 3/7/24)
  
• Windstorm script (PDF) (posted 2/28/24)
  

Cloud microphysics [Link to squall ensemble member assignment on Brightspace (see announcements)]

• Cloud microphysics (PPTX) (posted 3/1/24)
  
• Squall line demo script (PDF) (posted 3/6/24)
  
• Squall line demo slides (PPTX) (revised 3/12/24)
  
• Squall ensemble quick look (PPTX) (posted 3/14/24)
  

Final project progress report #1

• Final project progress report (PDF) (posted 3/10/24, due Thursday, 3/28/24)
  
• Final project insights (PPTX) (posted 3/12/24)
  

Cumulus parameterization

• Cumulus schemes (PPTX) (Posted 3/11/24)
  

TSTORM demonstration (cumulus ensemble)

• TSTORM demo and cumulus ensemble (PPTX) (Posted 3/25/24; contribution due Thurs 4/4/24)
  
• TSTORM demo script (PDF) (Posted 3/25/24)
  
• TSTORM ensemble evaluation (PPTX) (Posted 4/9/24)
  

Modeling fundamentals, sources of errors, and troubleshooting

• Modeling fundamentals, errors, and troubleshooting (PPTX)(posted 3/10/24)
  

"Storm of the Century" case, Part 1: nudging, SKEBS, and Experiment #3

• SOC test case and Experiment #3 (PPTX) (posted 4/1/24) [due date 4/11/24]
  
• SOC Experiment #3 script (PDF) (posted 4/1/24)
  

"Storm of the Century" case, Part #2: model levels, diffusers/dampers, and Experiment #4

• SOC, NESIS, NARR, and Experiment #4 (PPTX) (updated 4/9/24) [due date 4/25/24, 12 PM EDT]
  
• SOC NARR in-class script (PDF) (posted 4/7/24)
  

Boulder windstorm case (Part 3) and assignment (due 4/18)

• Windstorm verification (PPT) (posted 4/10/24)
  
• Windstorm verification script (PDF) (posted 4/10/24)
  
• Windstorm assignment (PDF) (posted 4/10/24, due date 4/18/24)
  

The MPAS model

• MPAS model and demonstration (PPTX) (Posted 4/15/24)
  
• MPAS demonstration script (PDF) (Posted 4/15/24)
  

Linear and nonlinear instability demonstration

• Instability and diffusion demo (PPTX) (posted 4/16/24)
  
• Instability and diffusion script (PDF) (posted 4/17/24)
  

UFS Short Range Weather (SRW) Application

• UFS SRW demo (PPTX) (updated 4/22/24)
  
• UFS SRW script (PDF) (posted 4/18/24)
  

GraphCast

• GraphCast demo (PPTX) (posted 4/24/24)
  
• GraphCast script (PDF) (posted 4/24/24)
  

Miscellaneous and final project information [Not updated yet for 2024]

• Potpourri (PPTX) (Modified 4/19/23)
  
• Example final presentation (PPTX) (Posted 4/26/22)
  

Course resources and useful links

University at Albany VPN installation [for offcampus access]
Passwordless logon to headnode (or other computers)
GrADS home page
WRF-Python documentation
WRF Users page
WRFV4.5 user's guide
WRF namelist reference
WPS namelist reference
MPAS home page
How to use the vi editor
FileZilla file transfer app (Mac, Windows, Linux; free)
Transmit file transfer app (Mac only, not free but very good)
Vapor home page (requires creating free account)
NCAR data archive (RDA)
NCEP/NCDC NOMADS NWP model archive
MADIS data archive

My home page

Papers cited during this course

• Marshall and Palmer (1948) (PDF)
• Lettau (1950) (PDF)
• McDonald (1954) (PDF)
• Blackadar (1962) (PDF)
• Kuo (1965)
  
• Deardorff (1966) (PDF)
• Bonner (1968) (PDF)
• Wieringa (1968) (PDF)
• Kuo (1968) (PDF)
  
• Foote and du Toit (1969) (PDF)
  
• Foote and du Toit [corrigendum] (1969) (PDF)
  
• Businger et al. (1971) (PDF)
• Cotton (1972) (PDF)
• Yanai et al. (1973)
  
• Arakawa and Schubert (1974)
  
• Locatelli and Hobbs (1974)
  
• Yamada and Mellor (1975) (PDF)
• Browning et al. (1976)
  
• Brost and Wyngaard (1978) (PDF)
• Leary and Houze (1979)
  
• Lemon and Doswell (1979)
  
• Tripoli and Cotton (1980)
  
• Wilhelmson and Klemp (1981)
  
• Weisman and Klemp (1982)
  
• Betts (1982)
  
• Betts (1983)
  
• Rotunno (1983) (PDF)
  
• Lin et al. (1983)
• Willis (1984) (PDF)
• Rutledge and Hobbs (1984) (PDF)
• Bluestein et al. (1985) (PDF)
• Betts and Miller (1986)
  
• Troen and Mahrt (1986) (PDF)
• Beard and Chuang (1987) (PDF)
• Fovell and Tan (1998) (PDF)
• Lott (1993)
  
• Betts and Miller (1993)
  
• Janjic (1994)
  
• Frech and Mahrt (1995) (PDF)
• Hong and Pan (1996) (PDF)
• Straka and Rasmussen (1997) (PDF)
• Mapes (1997)
  
• Xue (2000)
  
• Grell and Devenyi (2002)
  
• Bright and Mullen (2002) (PDF)
• Baldwin et al. (2002)
  
• Noh et al. (2003) (PDF)
• Roebber et al. (2003)
  
• Wakimoto et al. (2004)
  
• Vickers and Mahrt (2004) (PDF)
• Soares et al. (2004) (PDF)
• Kocin and Uccellini (2004)
  
• Kain (2004)
  
• Schultz (2005)
• Baxter et al. (2005)
  
• Sukoriansky et al. (2005)
  
• Squires and Lawrimore (2006)
  
• Fovell et al. (2006)
  
• Hong et al. (2006) (PDF)
• Galperin et al. (2007) (PDF)
• Siebesma et al. (2007) (PDF)
• Pleim (2007) (PDF)
• Fovell and Su (2007)
  
• Byun et al. (2008)
  
• Hong (2010) (PDF)
• Berner et al. (2010)
  
• Zhang et al. (2011)
  
• Jimenez et al. (2012)
  
• Grell and Freitas (2014)
  
• Shin and Hong (2015) (PDF)
• Shin and Dudhia (2016) (PDF)
• Fovell et al. (2016) (PDF)
• Cao and Fovell (2016) (PDF)
• Jahn et al. (2017a) (PDF)
• Jahn et al. (2017b) (PDF)
• Wilson and Fovell (2018) (PDF)
• Cao and Fovell (2018) (PDF)
• Fovell and Gallagher (2018) (PDF)
• Olson et al. (2019) (PDF)
• Fovell and Gallagher (2020) (PDF)
• Olson et al. (2021) (PDF)
• Harris et al. (2021) (PDF)
• Conrick et al. (2024) (PDF)