An Overview of Global Verification at the Environmental Modeling Center

The Verification and Products Division (VPD) of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) has developed a new software system to verify and assess the operational models included in NCEP’s numerical modeling suite. This new software system, known as the EMC Verification System version 1.0 (EVSv1), produces verification statistics and graphics operationally for many of NCEP’s global and regional models for the first time. The implementation of EVSv1 coincides with EMC’s transition from producing verification statistics and graphics using packages developed internally at EMC to using the Model Evaluation Tools (METplus) developed externally at the Developmental Testbed Center (DTC).

The operational verification of NCEP’s global models is a critical component of EVSv1. Verification statistics and graphics are produced daily for seven of NCEP’s global models and products (i.e., GFS, GEFS, NAEFS, CFS, RTOFS, NFCENS, and WAFS), as well as for a subset of global models from international modeling centers. The global verification performed in EVSv1 covers a variety of forecast types, including forecasts of the atmosphere, ocean, waves, and sea ice. The verification graphics produced by EVSv1 have a consistent look-and-feel and are routinely disseminated to the public via EMC’s Verification webpages. This presentation provides an overview of the global verification currently being done at EMC, details how this verification helps inform future model development, and provides links to EMC’s Verification webpages.