P6.2
The Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System: development and case examination
Jordan G. Powers, NCAR, Boulder, CO; and Y. H. Kuo, J. F. Bresch, D. H. Bromwich, J. J. Cassano, and A. Cayette
The support of science operations in Antarctica requires accurate regional weather forecasts. To improve the numerical guidance available to scientists in the field (viz. McMurdo Station) and flight forecasters in logistics support, a real-time mesoscale forecasting system has been developed for application over Antarctica. The system employs the Fifth-Generation Penn State University/NCAR Mesoscale Model 5 (MM5) which yields forecasts twice daily. The model is run in a 3-domain configuration, with horizontal grid sizes of 90 km, 30 km (covering the continent), and 10 km (focussing on the McMurdo Station area). The model's physics parameterizations are being tuned to the polar region, and the system will undergo verification studies over its first two field seasons ('00-'01, '01-'02). Discussed will be project motivations, system configuration, forecast products, and selected results.
Poster Session 6, Mesoscale Circulations—with Coffee Break
Thursday, 2 August 2001, 2:30 PM-4:00 PM
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