A Global WRF-based forecast system: Implementation and applications

WSI has been running the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecast system (WRF-ARW) since 2004. The forecast system has recently been enhanced to deliver global forecasts through the capabilities provided by the global WRF-ARW system. The global forecasts are run at 18 km resolution out to 3 days with updates every 6 hours. The global forecast data is used to produce automated terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAFs) and en-route turbulence forecasts. Further, visualizations of the forecast data provide very compelling global views of upcoming weather. This data is provided both to weather forecasters for use in generating client-tailored forecasts as well as presented to the general public through media outlets. In this presentation, we will provide details of the implementation, discuss challenges encountered while implementing the system, and present visualizations and derived products from the forecast data.