NOAA/NWS SOO STRC WRF Environmental Modeling System |
Now Available: WRF EMS Version 3 beta 2 release - 19 March 2009 - Announcement
Previous: WRF EMS Version 3 beta 1 - 30 January 2009 - Announcement
Update: There will be a update/bug fix available for the V3 beta release available during the week of 8 February.
WRF EMS: What is it?
Why should you care?
Who uses the WRF EMS?
What if I need help?
How do I get the WRF EMS?
How do I contribute?
The Weather Research and Forecast Environmental Modeling System (WRF EMS) is a complete, full-physics, state-of-the-science numerical weather prediction (NWP) system that incorporates dynamical cores from both the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Advanced Research WRF (ARW) and the National Center for Environmental Predictions' (NCEP) non-hydrostatic mesoscale model (NMM) releases into a single end-to-end forecasting package. All the capability of the NCEP and NCAR packages are retained within the WRF EMS; however, installation, configuration, and running of the NCEP and NCAR versions have been greatly simplified to encourage its use by operational forecast offices, private industry, and the University community.
Nearly every element of an operation NWP system has been integrated into the WRF EMS, including data acquisition, processing of initialization files, model execution, forecast post processing, file migration and archiving, and the display of the model forecasts. Real-time operations are simplified through the use of an automated process that incorporates various fail-over options and the synchronous post processing and distribution of forecast files. Additionally, the WRF EMS can be easily configured to run on a locally-build cluster of Linux computers (Beowulf clusters).
The NWS WRF EMS package was developed to promote the local use of numerical weather prediction models in the Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and to achieve the following goals set by the SOO Science and Training Resource Coordinator (SOO STRC):
1. To improve the knowledge and use of NWP forecast models and issues at the local level
2. To advance the forecasting process through an improved understanding of mesoscale atmospheric processes and the use of non-traditional diagnostic tools
3. To increase participation among the WFOs and other agencies in developing and running NWP systems to examine local forecast problemsRunning the WRF EMS locally at will serve to provide:
1) NWP guidance to NWS WFOs and River Forecast Centers (RFCs) at temporal and spatial scales not available from operational data sources,
2) A powerful tool for studying local forecast problems and historically significant weather events,
3) An alternative to the configuration and physics of operational systems,
4) A means to develop and test new diagnostic forecast techniques, and
5) A method of training forecasters on NWP-related issues.
Beside the US NWS forecast offices and River Forecast Centers, the WRF EMS package has been download for use by numerous US government agencies, comercial companies, non-profit institutions, and acedemic institutions, as well as users in more than 50 foriegn contries.
The SOO/STRC WRF EMS modeling package is fully supported by the NWS Science and Training Resource Coordinator. NWS and other NOAA agencies may request help from the SOO STRC directly. Support is also available to other government agencies upon request. Non-governmental agencies, such as non-profit groups, academic institutions and the commercial sector are also welcome to use the WRF EMS; however, support will be limited and up to the discretion of the SOO STRC.
The WRF EMS is available from the SOO/STRC web site. Registration is required for non-NWS users. A WRF EMS DVD is also available upon request from the SOO STRC but you will still have to register first.
What if I have a brilliant idea that must be incorporated into the EMS?
The WRF EMS package is always under development, so please feel free to send the SOO STRC your suggestions for improvement.