John Snook's Software Authorship

  1. Development and maintenance of real-time local-area mesoscale modeling. RAMS (with two different microphysics schemes) and MM5 run automatically twice per day. Models are initialized with LAPS data and use eta forecasts as lateral boundary conditions. Results have been used to demonstrate the feasibility of running local area models on affordable computer workstations in the local forecast office.

  2. Post-processing and visualization of real-time forecasts. Model output is post-processed to more familiar surface and isobaric products. Two and three-dimensional products are automatically created using the AVS software package and the products are posted on the FSL/LAPS web page. Products are also posted in netCDF format and are made available to the WFO-Advanced workstation.

  3. Verification of real-time forecasts. Surface variable and precipitation forecast verification is completed automatically for all real-time predictions. Verification results have been used to demonstrate the added value of using local area models in the local forecast office environment.

  4. Centennial Olympic Games local area modeling demonstration. Implementation of the FSL real-time local area modeling system in the Peachtree City NWS forecast office to support the Centennial Olympic Games provided hard evidence that local area modeling can be useful to the operational mesoscale forecast. These results are now shaping the future of local area modeling applications in the NWS forecast office.

  5. NWS local area model software package. Software developed for the Olympics support has been packaged for easy installation on existing NWS forecast office hardware using NCEP model data as initialization and forecast lateral boundary conditions. Model output is post-processed for use on the N-AWIPS workstation and for use in the Vis5d three-dimensional visualization package available as freeware from the University of Wisconsin. The software has been successfully installed at the Brownsville, TX, Las Vegas, NV, Lubbock, TX, San Juan, PR, Ruskin FL, Moorehead City, NC, Pueblo, CO, Grand Junction, CO, and Aberdeen, SD NWS forecast offices and the NWS Southern Region Headquarters in Fort Worth, TX. Local area model forecasts have been used for case study analyses and for operational activities. Operational forecasts generated at Lubbock, TX are being posted to their web page.

  6. Other mesoscale model applications. The University of Oklahoma's ARPS model and NCEP's ETA model have been modified for use as local area models initialized with LAPS data.

  7. World-wide local area modeling capability. A generic initialization package that can use LAPS, RUC, ETA, NGM, AVN, or NOGAPS data has been developed so local area modeling can be performed anywhere in the world. Applications have included China, Greece, Indonesia, and a variety of locations in support of the U.S. Air Force Global Weather Center activities. The package is well suited for case study applications. For example, the recent high wind-blowdown event in Routt County near Steamboat Springs.

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