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Next RUC upgrade - radar assimilation, etc.

Posted By: Stan Benjamin
Date: 1-November-07 0040Z

A set of changes for the operational RUC at NCEP are now in parallel testing at NCEP. These changes result in much improved precipitation, surface, and ceiling/visibility forecasts. Implementation will likely be the April-June 2008 time frame.

The new RUC analysis assimilates 3-d radar reflectivity (a first for NCEP models), TAMDAR aircraft observations, and mesonet winds. The new RUC model includes a new longwave radiation package (RRTM instead of Dudhia) and changes to the Grell-Devenyi convective scheme (most significantly, non-local subsidence warming).

A 44-slide ppt (in pdf) describing these changes in the upgrade is available at http://ruc.noaa.gov/ruc13_docs/RUC-upgrade-early08.pdf. A 3-page bullet-list description summarizing these changes (but no pictures) is at http://ruc.noaa.gov/ruc13_docs/RUC-change-2008-bullets.pdf.

Geoff Manikin at NCEP has set up an excellent real-time comparison web site between the parallel and operational RUC - see http://wwwt.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/ruc2/para/.

Thanks to many folks to get this far: At GSD (Steve Weygandt, John Brown, Tanya Smirnova, Bill Moninger, Kevin Brundage, Chris Harrop, others), NSSL folks (on radar data), NCEP (Geoff M., Dennis Keyser, Geoff DiMego, others).

Questions are welcome. We'll update the online documents as needed to answer our own questions and yours.

Stan Benjamin

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