Short-term Numerical Forecasts Using WindTracer Lidar Data

The Lockheed Martin WindTracer lidar provides dense coverage of winds over a large volume (typically up to 18 km horizontally from the lidar and throughout much of the troposphere), making it well suited for use in numerical forecasting. WindTracer horizontal wind vectors were assimilated into the WRF mesoscale model using Four Dimensional Data Assimilation (FDDA) and were also used during post-processing to remove model biases. Data were collected and disseminated via an innovative data network, and forecasts were generated in real-time, during an extended field experiment in which two WindTracer lidars were used in tandem at a location near mountainous terrain. The WRF forecasts were significantly improved by the addition of the lidar data during both the data assimilation and post-processing phases.