GSD has received science approval from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) to proceed with full operational implementation of the 13km Rapid Refresh version 5 and the 3km High-Resolution Rapid Refresh version 4 weather prediction models by mid-2020. This decision was made on Friday, December 20, 2019, after a period of stakeholder feedback including many positive comments from NWS field offices and national centers.
The scope of the implementation includes coupling to a model with lake hydrodynamics to improve forecasts in the Great Lakes region, a module that produces wildfire-driven smoke forecasts and predictions of the impact of smoke on the weather, and storm-scale ensemble data assimilation. The code has also been optimized to produce a 48-hour forecast in the same amount of time as it previously took to produce a 36-hour forecast.
This final configuration of these RAP/HRRR model systems will serve as an operational baseline for the transition to a regional convection-allowing application in the Unified Forecast System, known as the Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS).
Congratulations to the team of people who have contributed to this success!
For more information contact: Susan Cobb 303-497-5093