P37 Hurricane Weather Research and Forecast (HWRF) system user and developer support

Kalina, Evan, University of Colorado (CU)/Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL)/Global Systems Division (GSD) and the Developmental Testbed Center (DTC), Kathryn Newman, Mrinal Biswas, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and DTC, Ligia Bernardet, CU/CIRES at NOAA ESRL/GSD and DTC, James Frimel, Colorado State University/Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at NOAA ESRL/GSD and DTC, Laurie Carson, NCAR and DTC, and Evelyn Grell, CU/CIRES at NOAA ESRL/Physical Sciences Division and DTC

The Developmental Testbed Center (DTC) facilitates the efficient transfer of research innovations to operational centers and forecasters by ensuring that researchers have access to the latest version of the operational numerical weather prediction model codes. In the hurricane community, the DTC currently supports approximately 1500 users and developers of the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecast (HWRF) system. These support activities include 1) maintaining a HWRF code repository with version control and a review process for introducing changes to the code, 2) supporting HWRF users by annually releasing a documented version of the latest implementation of the operational HWRF, offering a hands-on, in-person tutorial covering the release, and monitoring a help desk that receives about 30 tickets each month, 3) supporting HWRF developers through the HWRF Developers' committee, help desk, and code repository, and 4) testing and evaluation of physics changes for potential inclusion in future versions of the operational HWRF. The DTC also hosts a Visitor Program that welcomes researchers to work in person with the DTC to test new forecasting and verification techniques, models, and model components for potential inclusion in operational forecasting environments. These and other aspects of the services that DTC provides the hurricane community will be described in detail.