WRF Source Code

WRF is open-source code that is publically-available to download and use.


See also

Read the WRF Public Domain Notice




Download WRF Source Code

Beginning with V4.0, WRF source code, which includes WRFDA and WRF-Chem, is available from the WRF GitHub Repository Releases. From this page, release notes and updates are available for each version release. There are two methods to obtain the source code.

  1. Clone the WRF code using git (recommended)

  2. Download the Packaged WRF Archive File


For downloading WRF code prior to V4.0, see Older WRF Downloads.




Clone the WRF code using git

Clone the code using a command line entry in a terminal window. This requires an installation of git (included on most modern systems). If unsure whether it is installed, use the which git command. If a path to git is output, git is installed.

This method provides more flexibility to update the version and facilitates and is the most direct method for contributing development back to the WRF-Model code base.

Use the following command to obtain the WRF Model Source Code (WRF, WRFDA, & WRF-Chem):

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF

Note

  • Beginning with V4.4, NoahMP submodules are obtained during compile - this requires the --recurse-submodules flag in the above command.

  • If compiling without internet access, or if checking out a branch other than master, issue the following commands while connected to the internet.

    git clone https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF.git
git submodule update --init --recursive

    After this, it is not necessary to be online to compile.

  • If needing to clean the code at any point, use clean -aa instead of “clean -a.”





Download the Packaged WRF Archive File

Aquire the code through the archive file on GitHub. The disadvantage to this method is a lack of flexibility regarding troubleshooting with version control. Archive files are provided in both zip and tar.gz formats. Archive files are available for each version release. It is recommended to download the most recently available version.

After clicking on the below button, scroll to the bottom of the latest release notes to find the files under “Assets.”

Important

Download the files in the v4.x.x.* format. DO NOT choose the “Source code” files!







WRF Known Problems

See WRF Known Problems and Solutions for each version of the code.






WRF Release Testing Information

See WRF & WPS Code Testing for details about testing conducted prior to each release.