Knievel, Jason C., and J. A. Grim, National Center for Atmospheric Research, C.
M. Witt-Schulte and D. P. Woznicz, U.S. Army Cold Regions Test Center, Fort
Greely, AK
Chinooks and other
regional down-slope winds can abruptly change conditions in the lee of
mountains. Reliably
simulating a chinookÕs onset, duration, strength, and spatial extent remains a
challenge for the WRF Model and for other NWP models. As a result, accurate predictions of chinooks often still
depend on the experience and intuition of forecasters, and on diagnostic
techniques that employ observations. This presentation will explore how the WRF ModelÕs
simulation of a chinook in the lee of the Alaska Range is sensitive to run-time
configuration and static data. The
physical details of this specific Alaskan chinook will be described.