About hydrowrf 

To support RHS Consulting’s cloud seeding programs WRF has been configured to provide optimal forecasts of all standard thermodynamic fields (pressure, wind fields, temperature fields at 32 levels), precipitation rate and accumulation, turbulence, radar echo and cloud coverage while providing explicit calculations of SLW and Ice Crystal Concentrations (ICC). It also produces gridded data that can be automatically imported into local targeting models, used to plot gridded soundings or vertical cross section analyses (RAOB).
HydroWRF produces a 36 hour forecast that is updated every six hours continuously in an operational mode. SLW and ICC totals and maximum with height are computed explicitly. A Cloud Seeding Index (CSI), defined as the dimensionless ratio of SLW/ICC, is also computed and used to provide a graphical picture of the amount of water available to grow natural ice. Systems with high CSI’s are easily identified as good potential seeding candidates 

hydrowrf model overview

Overview:
  • Automated quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) system to support hydro and cloud seeding  operations
  • Severs located in Norman, OK and Reno, NV
  • 36 hour forecast generated continuously every 6 hours
  • High resolution grids
  • Precipitation at the sub-basin level; input to operations model
  • Based on the WRF-ARW- current version 3.4.1​



​Operational Forecast Products:
  • 500 mb, 700 mb, surface winds, relative humidity, pressure, temperatures
  • Precipitation rate and accumulation
  • Supercooled Liquid Water (SLW), Ice Crystal Concentrations (ICC), and Cloud Seeding Index (CSI)
  • Gridded data for use in local targeting model
  • Radar echo & cloud cover
  • Turbulence (4000 ft- 20000 ft)
  • ​Vertical Cross Sections