Model Evaluation Tools (MET) was developed in response to a need for a state-of-the-art verification system for use in evaluating high-resolution forecast systems and to aid the Developmental Testbed Center (DTC) in WRF testing and evaluation. MET is a freely-available verification package distributed through the DTC. In addition to providing users with traditional methods of forecast verification, MET provides advanced spatial forecast evaluation techniques that can be applied to NWP forecasts. One such technique is the Method for Object-based Diagnostic Evaluation (MODE). Other spatial verification methods, as well as techniques for evaluation of probabilistic and ensemble forecasts will be included in successive version releases of MET.

Historically, the DTC has performed comparisons of both the WRF-ARW and NMM model cores. Data from these comparisons will be used to demonstrate the range of capabilities and techniques provided by MET for assessing NWP forecast performance. Both traditional and cutting-edge spatial forecast verification techniques provided in MET will be applied and demonstrated.