Impacts of WRF Physical Parameterizations on Simulations of 2012 Summer Heat Wave Event in Missouri

The 2012 summer heat wave was one of the most intense heat waves in U.S. history. It resulted in over 100 deaths and contributed to the subsequent drought that affected large areas of the country. In our study, we focus on the heat wave and its impacts on the state of Missouri. We utilize the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and design a suite of high-resolution sensitivity simulations to examine the impacts of various physical parameterizations on the forecast skill of this extreme weather event. Combinations of different physical schemes, such as microphysical, planetary boundary layers and cumulus schemes are tested. The model results are extensively compared with in-situ and remote sensing data for validation. This study serves as a benchmark case to perform dynamical downscaling to quantify the future climate change projections of this region.