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Assimilating Kentucky Mesonet observations in a real-time forecasting system at the Kentucky Climate Center
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Version 3.5 of the Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) modeling system is utilized with and without three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR). Version 3.5 of the WRF data assimilation system is used in conjunction with NCEP GFS final analysis to provide initial and boundary conditions for WRF forecasts. When 3DVAR is utilized, all simulations include surface and upper-air observational data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research/CISL Research Data Archive. One set of simulations will also include surface observations from the Kentucky Mesonet. Root Mean Square error differences between forecasts with and without observational assimilation are analyzed for the summer and fall of 2013. Preliminary results with a four-dimensional variational data assimilation system will also be presented.