WRF Tutorial Frequently Asked Questions

Live Lectures

Asking questions during live lectures

During virtual presentations, use Zoom’s “chat” feature for questions. After each talk, time permitting, use Zoom’s “Raise hand” to ask questions verbally. Otherwise, save questions for the practice sessions.

Will the lectures be recorded?

No, sessions are not recorded. You can watch the full versions of the presentations posted to YouTube.

Will lectures PDFs be posted?

Lectures are linked to the agenda and can be accessed by clicking on the lecture name. Presentations are from the July 2024 tutorial, but will be updated if necessary following each presentation.

Using NCAR’s HPC for Computing

Problems accessing the HPC, log-in, or the DUO app

Important

WRF INSTRUCTORS CANNOT HELP WITH THESE ISSUES!

Contact CISL Support for these issues. Their contact information is at the bottom of the account information email you received from CISL.

I didn’t receive an email from CISL about my account

First check your spam (or other) folderx to make sure it wasn’t filtered there. If it’s still missing, email Kelly (kkeene at ucar dot edu) to let us know, and we’ll contact CISL to help resolve it. This is often caused by a firewall at your home institution, blocking the email.

How long will I be able to access the NCAR HPC

You will be able to access the HPC and your account through the end of October, 2026.

Can I use the HPC at times other than the scheduled practice sessions?

Absolutely! You can use it any time of day or night until the account expires (see above).

Using the NCAR HPC to run simulations for school/work projects

This tutorial class shares a limited HPC allocation, intended for learning and practicing WRF. Experimenting with your own simulations is fine, provided:

The simulation is small (no more than a few hundred grid points in each direction)
The simulation is short (no more than a few days)
You are not running numerous simulations (30+)

Practice Sessions

What will we do during practice sessions?

During this time, everyone joins Zoom but stays muted while working through the practice exercises independently. If you have a question, use the “hand-raise” feature under Zoom’s “React” tab. Instructors will watch for raised hands and invite you into a breakout room to discuss your question privately.

Can I ask questions out loud or by chat in the main session?

Please don’t ask questions aloud, as it may distract others. It’s also best to avoid the main session chat during practice sessions - questions posted there won’t be visible to instructors or students currently in breakout rooms, or after they return to the main session.

How do I get started with practice exercises?

Start by opening a terminal (Unix) window and logging into the Derecho HPC using the account information from your CISL email. Then open the practice exercises and begin with the page for setting up your Derecho HPC. From there, proceed to either the simple Unix commands exercise or to the Initial Exercise. For more details, see the Practice Instructions presentation

Am I expected to complete all the practice exercises?

There’s no requirement to complete a certain number of exercises or finish by a specific time. Start with the Initial Exercise, then move to the Single Domain exercise. After that, work through the remaining exercises in whatever order seems most useful for your work.

Can I download tutorial data or files?

From the tutorial website, under Quick Links tab on the left, find Practice Exercise Input/Output Data, which provides instructions for this.