An Overview of WSI's 4km RPM Model

Since 2004, WSI has operated a version of the WRF-ARW model intended for use in various operational weather forecasting applications, including broadcast meteorology. Select products from our WRF model are packaged into a dataset distributed to broadcast meteorologists under the RPM ("Rapid Precision Model") brand name. In 2008, WSI increased the resolution of its WRF model (and RPM datasets) to 4km. This was the nation's first CONUS-domain numerical model operating at such resolution, and the first fully convective resolving model in operational use.

In this presentation, an overview of WSI's RPM model will be provided. Case studies illustrating the advantages of a convective-resolving model compared to lower-resolution convective-parameterizing models will be shown. Validation of temperature and precipitation forecasts compared to NCEP model's will also be shown. Future directions of WSI's numerical weather prediction program will also be discussed, including the development of rapid-update forecast capabilities based on radar data assimilation techniques. Recent tornado-generating case studies using the data assimilation will be shown.