Applications of Numerical Weather Prediction

Catalog description

This is a hands-on course in numerical weather prediction (NWP), with an emphasis on simulating mesoscale weather systems (including thunderstorms, windstorms, and sea/land breezes), model validation, sensitivity (to initialization, resolution and other numerical aspects, and model physics), and how model physical parameterizations work. The principal tool will be the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The overarching goal is to understand how NWP models like WRF work, what their strengths and limitations are, and how and why they may fail. Each student is responsible for producing a final capstone project that utilizes their knowledge and understanding of this class and its direct and indirect prerequisites. Prerequisite(s): A ATM 317 and 321. Offered fall semester only.