An operational model for regional weather forecasting

AbstractWe present the principal ingredients of a regional finite element weather forecast model that includes a parameretization of the most relevant sub-grid-scale processes. This model is used operationally on a twice-daily basis by the Canadian weather service and for numerical weather forecasting research. It also provides the advecting winds, ambient temperatures and vertical diffusion profiles for a pollutant transport model. Results are presented that illustrate the computational economies that are possible when using variable resolution for short-range (2 days or less) forecasting for regions of continental extent. A brief discussion is given of future directions for further development of the model