Visualizing model forecasts is typically carried in terms of simulated radar reflectivity or forecast precipitation. While is these are not very useful to diagnose physical processes not associated with precipitation, as would be case when interpreting model data in a pre-convective environment. Visualizing model forecasts using simulated satellite imagery have proven very useful because cloud imagery can provide inferences about physical processes not associated with precipitation. A forward radiative transfer model is capable of providing such a visible channel depiction of numerical weather prediction model output, but present-day forward models are too slow to run routinely on operational model forecasts.

It is demonstrated that it is possible to approximate the radiative transfer model using an universal approximator whose parameters can be determined by fitting the output of the forward model to inputs derived from the model forecasts from which it was computed. The resulting approximation is very close to the complex radiative transfer model and has the advantage that it can be computed in a matter of minutes. This approximation is carried out on model forecasts to demonstrate its utility as a visualization and forecasting tool.