Sub-kilometer dynamical downscaling of near-surface winds in complex terrain using WRF and MM5 mesoscale models

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Vol. 117; no. D11
• Main Authors: Horvath, Kristian, Koracin, Darko, Vellore, Ramesh, Jiang, Jinhua, Belu, Radian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Blackwell Publishing Ltd 16.06.2012; American Geophysical Union
• Subjects: Accuracy; Atmospheric boundary layer; Atmospheric sciences; Boundary conditions; Climate models; Climate science; Daytime; Dispersion; Diurnal; Domains; dynamical downscaling; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Eddies; Errors; Exact sciences and technology; Frequencies; Geophysics; Kinetic energy; Mean winds; Mesoclimatology; Mesoscale models; Mesoscale phenomena; Mixed layer; MM5; Model accuracy; Modelling; moment-based verification; Physics; Resolution; Spectra; spectral verification; Summer; Surface wind; Telescoping; Temporal variability; Temporal variations; Terrain; Verification; Vertical wind shear; Weather forecasting; Wind shear; Wind speed; Winds; WRF; United States; Nevada; USA, Nevada; time variations; Night; Scale reduction; Bias; simulation; Wind velocity; Summer; accuracy; variability; North America; Modeling; Dynamic method; Mean square error; frequency; Complex terrain; performances; flow; kinetic energy; Verification; climate; intensity; Mixed layer; Mesoscale; dispersion; Wind shear; Surface wind

Sub‐kilometer dynamical downscaling was performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and Mesoscale Model Version 5 (MM5) models. The models were configured with horizontal grid spacing ranging from 27 km in the outermost telescoping to 333 m in the innermost domains and verified with o...