New York City's Summer 2010 Numerical Simulations using WRF's Building Energy Parameterization

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, coupled with a multi-layer urban canopy model that considers thermal and mechanical effects of the urban environment and a building energy model that accounts for the antropogenic heat contribution of air conditioning systems, are used to evaluate the evolution of the surface temperature and wind over New York City (NYC) during a period of 90 days in the summer of 2010. High resolution (250 m.) urban canopy parameters (UCPs) from the National Urban Database were employed to initialize the multi-layer urban parameterization. Numerical simulations are evaluated using different sources of information. Data from a dense network of surface weather stations, wind profilers and Lidar measurements are compared to model outputs over Manhattan and its surroundings. The thermal and drag effects of buildings represented in the multilayer urban canopy model improves simulations over urban regions giving better estimates of the temperature and wind speed. The accuracy of the urban model to predict the intensity and duration of rainy events over the city is evaluated. The development of horizontal convective rolls for the whole period is observed and analyzed.