NCAR Command Language (NCL)¶
NCL is an interpreted language designed for scientific data analysis and visualization.
Note
You will be using NCL version 6.6.2, which includes all functions necessary for creating plots
We recommend using an existing sample script as template, and then modifying it to suit your needs, if you want to make modifications
Available NCL Scripts¶
Below are the pre-written sample scripts are available from your wrf/test/em_real directories, but can also be found in /glade/campaign/mmm/wmr/wrf_tutorial/WRF_NCL_scripts.
Scripts for Real-data Cases¶
CreateTracks.ncl |
wrf_AdaptiveTime.ncl |
wrf_cape.ncl |
wrf_Cloud.ncl |
wrf_Cross2D.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection_1.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection1.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection_2.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection2.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection_3.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection3.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection_4.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection4.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection_add_smooth_terrain4.ncl |
wrf_CrossSection_add_smooth_terrain.ncl |
wrf_dbz1.ncl |
wrf_dbz2.ncl |
wrf_EtaLevels.ncl |
wrf_eth.ncl |
wrf_Height2.ncl |
wrf_Height.ncl |
wrf_helicity.ncl |
wrf_meteo_1.ncl |
wrf_meteo_2.ncl |
wrf_meteo_3.ncl |
wrf_meteo_4.ncl |
wrf_meteo_5_limited_height.ncl |
wrf_meteo_5.ncl |
wrf_metgrid1.ncl |
wrf_metgrid2.ncl |
wrf_metgrid3.ncl |
wrf_metgrid4.ncl |
wrf_metgrid5.ncl |
wrf_metgrid6.ncl |
wrf_metgrid7.ncl |
wrf_metgrid8.ncl |
wrf_moving_nest.ncl |
wrf_moving_nest_overlap.ncl |
wrf_moving_nest_precip_2doms.ncl |
wrf_moving_nest_precip.ncl |
wrf_overlay_doms.ncl |
wrf_Overlay.ncl |
wrf_panel1-1.ncl |
wrf_panel1-2.ncl |
wrf_panel1.ncl |
wrf_panel2-2.ncl |
wrf_panel2.ncl |
wrf_Precip2.ncl |
wrf_Precip3.ncl |
wrf_Precip_multi_files.ncl |
wrf_PressureLevel1.ncl |
wrf_PressureLevel2.ncl |
wrf_PressureLevel3.ncl |
wrf_pv.ncl |
wrf_PW2.ncl |
wrf_PW3.ncl |
wrf_PW.ncl |
wrf_SkewT1.ncl |
wrf_SkewT2.ncl |
wrf_SkewT3.ncl |
wrf_SkewT4.ncl |
wrf_SkewT5.ncl |
wrf_SkewT.ncl |
wrf_Surface1.ncl |
wrf_Surface2.ncl |
wrf_Surface3.ncl |
wrf_Surface_multi_files_avg.ncl |
wrf_Surface_multi_files.ncl |
wrf.ts.ncl |
wrf_updraft_helicity.ncl |
wrf_wind_rose.ncl |
wrf_wps_plot_all.ncl |
wrf_wps_ter1.ncl |
wrf_wps_ter2.ncl |
wrf_wps_ter3.ncl |
wrf_wps_ter4.ncl |
wrf_wps_ter5.ncl |
wrf_wps_ter6.ncl |
wrf_Zoom.ncl |
olr.ncl |
get_wrf_file_dims.ncl |
gWRF_merc.ncl |
design_grids.ncl |
For beginners wanting to plot a single wrf output file (wrfout*), the following scripts are recommended:
wrf_CrossSection_1.ncl
wrf_EtaLevels.ncl
wrf_Height.ncl
wrf_PressureLevel1.ncl
wrf_Surface1.ncl
wrf.ts.ncl
For beginners wanting to plot multiple wrf output file (wrfout*), the following scripts are recommended:
wrf_Precip_multi_files.ncl
wrf_Surface_multi_files
Scripts for Idealized Cases¶
wrf_BWave.ncl |
wrf_Grav2x.ncl |
wrf_Hill2d.ncl |
wrf_QSS.ncl |
wrf_Squall_2d_x.ncl |
wrf_Squall_2d_y.ncl |
Running an NCL Script¶
Create your own script, or pick one from of the supplied scripts. If you start with a supplied script, most often all you need to do is change the input file, in this line:
a = addfile("./wrfout_d01_2023-03-31_00:00:00 .nc","r")
Note
You do not need to change your filenames so that they have a trailing .nc. But KEEP the trailing .nc in the above line, as this is used as a file type communicator to NCL.
Run the script
ncl <script>
The output depends on your setting of “type” in the scripts. See detailed running instructions from the WRF Online Tutorial.
Return to the Practice Exercise home to page to run another exercise.
See also