National unified operational prediction capability: progress and national research initiatives

The National Unified Operational Prediction Capability (NUOPC) is a joint Department of Commerce and Department of Defense initiative to advance the National NWP capability in response to evolving operational needs. The central goals of the program are:

o To execute an operational joint Navy – NOAA global atmosphere multi-model ensemble

o To standardize NWP practices in order to accelerate model development and achieve developmental and operational efficiencies for the next generation of NWP systems.

o To address common operational needs through a defined National research and development agenda.

Over the past year, the operational centers have made considerable progress toward a joint global ensemble with an expected initial operational capability of second quarter FY2011. Committees with wide community representation have met to define software interoperability standards and common metrics and a workshop was held to define a National research and development agenda for improved global NWP in the U.S., especially global ensemble prediction. NUOPC management will provide a progress report on operational availability of global ensemble data and report on the workshop recommendations for a National research and development agenda.