Predictability of Severe Convective Storm Environments in Global Ensemble Forecast System, Version 12, Reforecasts

Details

• Journal Title:
  Weather and Forecasting
• Personal Author:
  Berrington, Andrew H. ; Hoogewind, Kimberly A. ; Clark, Adam J. ; Taszarek, Mateusz
• NOAA Program & Office:
  OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; CIWRO (Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations) ; NSSL (National Severe Storms Laboratory)
• Description:
  Prediction of severe convective storms at time scales of 2–4 weeks is of interest to forecasters and stakeholders due to their impacts on life and property. Prediction of severe convective storms on this time scale is challenging, since the large-scale weather patterns that drive this activity begin to lose dynamic predictability beyond week 1. Previous work related to severe convective storms on the subseasonal time scale has mostly focused on observed relationships with teleconnections. The skill of numerical weather prediction forecasts of convective-related variables has been comparatively less explored. In this study over the United States, a forecast evaluation of variables relevant in the prediction of severe convective storms is conducted using Global Ensemble Forecast System, version 12, reforecasts at lead times of up to 4 weeks. We find that kinematic and thermodynamic fields are predicted with skill out to week 3 in some cases, while composite parameters struggle to achieve meaningful skill into week 2. Additionally, using a novel method of weekly summations of daily maximum composite parameters, we suggest that the aggregation of certain variables may assist in providing additional predictability beyond week 1. These results should serve as a reference for forecast skill for the relevant fields and help inform the development of convective forecasting tools at time scales beyond current operational products.
• Source:
  Weather and Forecasting, 39(11), 1571-1589
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1175/waf-d-24-0004.1
• ISSN:
  0882-8156 ; 1520-0434
• Format:
  pdf
• Publisher:
  American Meteorological Society
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  Grant no. NA21OAR4320204
• Rights Information:
  Other
• Compliance:
  Library
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/67936/noaa_67936_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 24.08 MB]
• Collection(s):
  Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) ; NOAA Cooperative Institutes
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5b260f2f32c74a6c382555ed0b257d5cd42ec767debd2b19f268d6d15d7ee9b9b07be85114f3ef2dc979ffe635f75a59dbf04280320a20241602978fc1daeaa7