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Posted by Stan Benjamin on 16 Dec 97, 17:30 MT
Summary of RUC2 evaluation teleconference - 15 Dec 97
Participants: FSL - Tom Schlatter, Stan Benjamin, John Brown Aviation Weather Center Tim Mahony Storm Prediction Center Phillip Bothwell NWS Western Region - Jon Mittelstadt - SLC Mary Cairns - RNO NWS Central Region - Preston Leftwich - HQ Karl Jungbluth, Dan Smith - DSM Paul Wolyn - PUB Pete Browning - Pleasant Hill, MO NWS Southern Region Rusty Pfost - JAN Rich Wynne - AMA NWS Eastern Region Paul Sisson, Will Murray - BTV Josh Korotky - PIT NCEP - Greg Karpen FAA HQ - Bill Eggleston FAA Tech. Center - Danny Sims, Tom Carty
Agenda items w/ responses
*Receiving output * Is everybody getting something out there? NWS/WR will distribute by end of week. (Mary C.)
Some offices would like to keep 60km RUCS (hourly sfc analyses) longer for comparison. FSL will check w/ NCEP to see what their plan is. RUC1 3-h cycle will end w/ implementation of RUC2 on 11 Feb (currently scheduled date), and 80km AWIPS 211 grid data from RUC2 will be provided (not there yet). *File sizes
Some offices said they don't need 25 mb isobaric data above 500 mb.
Result - keep 25 mb output, but get rid of 1050 and 1025 levels. This assumes that sfc grids will be accessed independently, since they were incorporated in the 1050 and 1025 level fields. Will also add terrain height and top-down freezing level grids for sfc file and isobaric main file. WR may downsize RUC2 files geographically, getting rid of E. Coast data (Mary C.) *Status of BUFR soundings NWS offices would like to have individual time series of soundings (Rusty P., Paul S., others) FSL will look at this with Peggy Bruehl. File sizes of BUFR soundings for all sites at a single output time are estimated to be only 200 KB, which is quite manageable. Stay tuned. But they won't be there by Wed. *Duration of field test Field test extended to 17 Jan. Get information to FSL by 22 Jan (mail to Tom Schlatter, R/E/FS1, NOAA/ERL, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303, or e-mail to Stan Benjamin (benjamin@fsl.noaa.gov)). We still need to write quickly (within a couple of days) a Technical Procedures Bulletin for the CAFTI meeting scheduled for 5 Feb 98. The proposed implementation for 11 Feb 98 assumes that CAFTI and the evaluators (you) are generally comfortable that RUC2 is equal to or better than RUC1. So your input is important for this. We think the RUC2 is in OK shape on this score from looking at it at FSL for the last 1-2 years. Just as important, the evaluation gives us a chance to fine tune output formats, variables, and get rid of some minor errors. I hope that we at FSL can also help with the education process in how to use RUC2. Some regions may continue an extended field test of RUC2 (e.g., WR, SPC) to examine performance in difference seasons. FSL welcomes this and continued interactions with users, including through evaluation web page. *When can we start running 12h fcsts? Lots of expressions of need for 12h fcsts. [Laurie Morone at NCEP has been out the last couple of days, so we now hope for tomorrow or Thursday. We've got three significant time-saving fixes in the queue that should easily permit the restoration of the 12-h fcsts.] *Vertical velocities
Discussed off line with SPC and BTV. SPC problems appear to be related to GEMPAK, not to RUC2 processing. FSL is reviewing BTV observations of RUC2 VV's. *Early impressions Didn't talk about this much. Clear evidence of RUC2 superiority over RUC1 stated offline by SPC and BTV, but more serious evaluation just getting started. NCEP saw good precip type forecasts for snow/rain (Greg K.), but analysis values may be reversed. FSL will check. CAPE values over Gulf of Mexico too low in fcst (Rusty P.) FSL will check. -----------------------
The next teleconference will be held on Tuesday 6 Jan 1998 at 10 a.m. MST. Stan Benjamin p.s. another reminder to use the RUC2 evaluation web site at
Note that you can do two nice things on the web site:
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