1. Local Analysis and Prediction System Paul Schultz June 10, 1999

2. LAPS A system designed to: Exploit all available data sources Create analyzed and forecast grids Build products for specific forecast applications Use advanced display technology …All within the local weather office

3. Basic data sources Radar Satellite Surface Obs RAOBs Profilers ACARS Larger-scale models (background, LBC)

4. We’ll emphasize LAPS in NWS AWIPS today... …but LAPS is being used by Space Flight Centers (Vandenburg, Kennedy), USAF Global Weather Center, many others

5. Here’s how it looks on AWIPS

6. Relationship between NWS and FSL

7. “THE CONCEPT OF THE LOCAL DATA BASE IS CENTRAL TO FUTURE OPERATIONS…THE MOST COMPLETE DATA SETS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO THE LOCAL WFO. THE NEW OBSERVING SYSTEMS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE DATA TO BE INTEGRATED INTO 3-DIMENSIONAL DEPICTIONS OF THE RAPIDLY CHANGING STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT.” -- from the strategic plan for the modernization and associated restructuring of the National Weather Service

8. A decade of NWS development All new satellites, radars, surface observation equipment Satellite-based telecommunications to support field offices Cool computer workstations (AWIPS) New telecommunications front end to support users (LDAD) New forecast products and services

9. cp1 cp2ws1 ws2 ds1 ds2 firewall workstation subnet Basic AWIPS setup as1 as2 SBN WSR-88D LDAD

10. LDAD - LAN ( IP) World Wide Web Security Firewall LAN Terminal Server Observing platforms Spotters, coop observers Public schools, police cars AWIPS Internal LAN (IP) LDAD Server Async MUX Backup Server Async MUX VIR Switch Dedicated Modem Dial Modem DTMF Conv FAX Modem Interactive menu Public Emergency preparedness Existing Router wkst wkst Hydro nets, road sensors, agriculture mesonets LDAD in NWS Forecast Offices

13. LAPS on AWIPS Analysis only (for now). Domain is (for now) at 61x61x21, dx=dy=10km, dp=50mb. Cycle time is 1 hr. 3d temperature, wind, humidity, cloud fraction, mixing ratios of vapor, cloud liquid, cloud ice, rain, snow, graupel. Lots of derived fields.

14. Data sources for LAPS in AWIPS RUC provides first guess Surface: metars, buoys, satellite IR for  T, local obs via LDAD (v4.2) Upper winds: profiler (not ACARS, WSR88D) Clouds: WSR88D reflectivity, satellite IR+vis, metars (not pireps, radiometers) Water vapor: cloud fields + 11.7  (not ACARS, radiometers, GPS)

15. Why Run Models in the Weather Office? Diagnose local weather features to enhance conceptual models –sea/mountain breezes –modulation of synoptic scale features Take advantage of high resolution terrain data to downscale national model forecasts –orography is a data source!

16. Take advantage of unique local data –radar –surface mesonets Have an NWP tool under local control for scheduled and special support Best reason: better precip forecasts Why Run Models in the Weather Office? (cont.)

19. Why not run models in NWS forecast offices? NWS hasn’t figured out how to support modeling. NWS/NCEP/EMC is not convinced it will provide useful guidance or otherwise lead to better forecasts. NWS/NCEP/EMC believes AWIPS telecomms will eventually catch up. NWS and PRC haven’t negotiated the infrastructure management. Hardware cost is not an issue.

20. Hardware cost is not an issue! The computer required to run a nested grid with an interior 5-km grid covering WFO area of responsibility plus plenty more, costs less than $5000 today! (Based on an assumed requirement to complete a 27-hr forecast in under three hours.)

21. Which model? Practically any public-domain nestable nonhydrostatic model is fine (MM5, COAMPS, ARPS, SFM). Eta okay too, but it’s not nestable, so a larger fine grid is required; offsets efficiency advantage. No technical reason not to have them all.

22. cp1 cp2ws1 ws2 ds1 ds2 as3 firewall LDAD subnet workstation subnet AWIPS local model implementation options any computer as1 as2 SBN Externalsource WSR

23. Here’s how it looks on AWIPS ------> Same grid as analyses LBC from Eta Runs four times out to 18 hrs per day at WFO/BOU Runs automatically, >95% reliability

24. Cloud liquidCloud iceSnowGraupelRain precip saturated updraft freeze/melt coalescence melting freeze/melt nucleation deposition aggregation precip NWP Explicit Microphysics Evaporation is not shown accretion

25. Plans Better integration of surface and 3D fields Direct assimilation methods of satellite radiances, microwave sensors, radar reflectivity Hot start for model Shallow cumulus parameterization Graphical user interface for grid configuration, data quality control, process monitoring, verification

28. LAPS People Steve Albers: 3d winds, temperature, clouds Pete Stamus: surface analyzed and derived products Dan Birkenheuer: 3d humidity John Smart: data ingest, preprocessing Jim Edwards: software design John McGinley: variational methods, QC Paul Schultz, John Snook: local model

29. Here’s our web site: http://laps.fsl.noaa.gov Email anybody in the group: lastname@fsl.noaa.gov John McGinley, LAPS Branch Chief, FSL Paul Schultz, AWIPS contact