REFORECASTS an Important Dataset for Improving Weather Predictions
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REFORECASTS An Important Dataset for Improving Weather Predictions BY THOMAS M. HAMILL, JEFFREY S. WHITAKER, AND STEVEN L. MULLEN Statistical correction of today’s numerical forecast using a long set of reforecasts (hindcasts) dramatically improves its forecast skill. eanalyses such as the National Centers for reanalysis datasets have facilitated a wide range of Environmental Prediction (NCEP)–National research; for example, the Kalnay et al. (1996) article R Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) re- above has been cited more than 3200 times. analysis (Kalnay et al. 1996) and the European Centre In this article, we explore the value of a companion for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) dataset to reanalyses, which we shall call “reforecasts.” 40-year reanalysis (ERA-40; Uppala et al. 2005) have These are retrospective weather forecasts generated become heavily used products for geophysical science with a fixed numerical model. Model developers research. These reanalyses run a practical, consistent could use them for diagnosing model bias, thereby data assimilation and short-range forecast system facilitating the development of new, improved ver- over a long period of time. While the observation sions of the model. Others could use them as data type and quality may change somewhat, the forecast for statistically correcting weather forecasts, thereby model and assimilation system are typically fixed. developing improved, user-specific products [e.g., This facilitates the generation of a reanalysis dataset model output statistics (MOS) Glahn and Lowry that is fairly consistent in quality over time. These 1972; Carter et al. 1989]. Others may use them for studies of atmospheric predictability. Unfortunately, extensive sets of reforecasts are not commonly pro- AFFILIATIONS: HAMILL AND WHITAKER—NOAA Earth System duced utilizing the same model version as is run Research Lab, Physical Sciences Division, Boulder, Colorado; operationally. These computationally expensive MULLEN—Institute of Atmospheric Physics, University of Arizona, reforecasts are “squeezed out” by operational data Tucson, Arizona assimilation and forecast models that are run at as CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Dr. Thomas M. Hamill, NOAA fine a resolution as possible. Earth Systems Research Lab, Physical Sciences Division, Boulder, CO 80305-3328 Would the additional forecast improvement and E-mail: [email protected] diagnostic capability provided by reforecasts make them worth the extra computational resources they The abstract for this article can be found in this issue, following the table of contents. require? To explore this, we recently generated a DOI:10.1175/BAMS-87-1-33 prototype 25-yr, 15-member ensemble reforecast dataset using a 1998 version of the NCEP Medium In final form 12 August 2005 ©2005 American Meteorological Society Range Forecast (MRF) model run at T62 resolution, which is admittedly a resolution far from being state AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY JANUARY 2006 | 33 of the art in operational numerical weather prediction through the use of the reforecasts. Because reforecast- centers in 2005. Despite the coarse resolution of this ing using higher-resolution models can be expensive, dataset, we were able to make probabilistic week-2 implementing this idea could require the purchase or forecasts that were more skillful than the operational reallocation of computer resources. Thus, the imple- NCEP forecasts that are based on higher-resolution mentation of reforecasting requires discussion at the models (Hamill et al. 2004). Others have also dem- top levels of the weather services. onstrated the utility of reforecasts for improving pre- We will provide a description of this dataset in dictions. Rajagopalan et al. (2002) and Stefanova and “Description of the reforecast dataset” and illustrate how Krishnamurti (2002) used multimodel reforecasts users can download raw data. We then demonstrate a to improve seasonal predictions, and Vitart (2004) range of potential applications in “Some applications at demonstrated improved monthly forecasts using a the reforecast data,” illustrating how such datasets may smaller reforecast dataset. Other smaller reforecast be used to inform a variety of forecast problems. “How datasets also have been produced as companions can reforecasts be integrated into operational numerical to reanalysis datasets, but have not been used for weather prediction?” discusses the manner in which real-time statistical corrections of forecasts (Kistler reforecasts may be able to be integrated into operational et al. 2001; Mesinger et al. 2005). The novelty of the NWP facilities without excessive disruption. reforecast dataset discussed here is its length (every day, from 1979 to the present), the ongoing produc- DESCRIPTION OF THE REFORECAST tion of real-time numerical forecasts from the same DATASET. A T62 resolution (roughly 200-km grid model, and that it is an ensemble of forecasts rather spacing) version of NCEP’s Global Forecasting System than a single integration. (GFS) model (Kanamitsu 1989; Kanamitsu et al. 1991; A variety of other approaches are being explored Hong and Pan 1996; Wu et al. 1997; Caplan et al. 1997, for improving probabilistic forecasts. The Develop- and references therein) was used with physics that ment of the European Multimodel Ensemble System were operational in the 1998 version of the model. for Seasonal to Interannual Prediction (DEMETER) This model was run with 28 vertical sigma levels. The project in Europe has generated probabilistic sea- reforecasts were generated at the National Oceanic sonal climate forecasts in a multimodel environment and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) laboratory (Palmer et al. 2004; Hagedorn et al. 2005; Doblas- in Boulder, Colorado, and real-time forecasts are now Reyes et al. 2005). Statistical approaches to correct- generated at NCEP and archived in Boulder. ing weather forecasts have been tried using shorter A 15-member ensemble was produced every day training datasets, including some with multimodel from 1979 to the present, starting from 0000 UTC or multianalysis approaches (Vislocky and Fritsch initial conditions. The ensemble initial conditions con- 1995, 1997; Hamill and Colucci 1997, 1998; Eckel and sisted of a control initialized with the NCEP–NCAR Walters 1998; Krishnamurti et al. 1999; Roulston and reanalysis (Kalnay et al. 1996) and a set of seven bred Smith 2003; Raftery et al. 2005; Wang and Bishop pairs of initial conditions (Toth and Kalnay 1993, 1997) 2005). Results presented here will reinforce our previ- that are recentered each day on the reanalysis initial ous assertion (Hamill et al. 2004) that for many dif- condition. The breeding method was the same as that ficult problems, such as long lead forecasts, forecasts used operationally in January 1998. The forecasts ex- of rare events, or forecasts of surface variables with tend to 15 days lead, with data archived every 12 h. significant bias, a large training sample size afforded Because of the large size of this dataset, we have by reforecasts may prove especially beneficial. chosen to archive only a limited set of model output. Our intent in this article is to introduce the reader Winds, temperature, and geopotential height are avail- to the several applications of reforecast data that able at the 850-, 700-, 500-, 250-, and 150-hPa levels, demonstrate the potential for improving weather and winds and temperature are available at 1000 hPa. predictions and increasing our understanding of at- The 10-m wind components, 2-m temperature, mean mospheric predictability. We also intend to stimulate sea level pressure, accumulated precipitation, convec- a serious discussion about the value of reforecasts. tive heating, precipitable water, and 700-hPa relative Is the value added so large that operational weather humidity were also archived. Data can be downloaded forecast centers should make reforecasting a regular using the online form at www.cdc.noaa.gov/refore- part of the operational numerical weather prediction cast/ (Fig. 1). Real-time data can also be obtained us- process? We will demonstrate that for the problem ing file transfer portocol (ftp) from ftp://ftp.cdc.noaa. of probabilistic precipitation forecasting there is a gov/Datasets.other.refcst/ensdata/yyyymmddhh, large, additional amount of skill that can be realized where yyyy is the year, mm is the month, dd is the 34 | JANUARY 2006 day, and hh is the hour of the initialization time. The 2000), but most utilize a simpler approach of directly real-time forecasts are typically available about 10 h finding observed analogs to the forecast. Consider a after the initialization time. situation where the forecast model is consistently too wet. In a one-step analog technique, the ensemble of SOME APPLICATIONS OF THE REFORE- observed analogs would, by construction, retain the CAST DATASET. Because reanalyses have fostered forecast’s wet bias. The two-step procedure would many creative diagnostic studies, a long reforecast da- first find similar forecasts, but if the observed data taset permits an examination and correction of weath- were drier, the second step would compensate for er forecasts in ways that were not previously possible. the wet bias. Robust statistical forecast techniques can be developed, To demonstrate the potential of this two-step the characteristics of model biases more thoroughly analog procedure, the technique was used to gen- understood, and predictability issues explored. Here, erate probabilistic forecasts of 24-h-accumulated we