WFIP2 Validation and Verification Strategy

The Wind Forecast Improvement Project 2 (WFIP 2) in the complex terrain of the Columbia Gorge focuses on a set of weather phenomena that poses particular challenges for wind and wind power forecasting. It further aims at understanding and improving the skill of weather forecast models, particularly NOAA’s High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), in complex terrain. The project also includes an extensive field campaign in the Columbia River Gorge, during which data from many different instruments were collected.
WFIP 2 is a public-private partnership effort funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Scientists from four U.S. national laboratories, NOAA, Vaisala, as well as universities, contribute to the project with wide and varied interests and skill sets. Therefore, coordinated Validation &Verification (V&V) across these members allows for the development of a clear picture of model improvements and scientific findings within WFIP 2. The WFIP 2 Verification & Validation (V&V) Team is tasked with providing tools, methods, and guidance to enable repeatable, metrics-based assessment of WRF and associated modeling suites for analysis and forecasting of mesoscale weather phenomena that are important for wind energy in the Columbia River Gorge and other parts of the continental United States.
In this presentation, we will explain the reasoning, challenges, and successes of our coordinated validation efforts, as well as present our common tools and documentation.