RUC20 - The 20-KM Version of the Rapid Update Cycle

摘要

A new version of the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) has been implemented at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) on 17 April 2002 with a doubling of horizontal resolution (40 km to 20 km), an increased number of vertical computational levels (40 to 50), and improvements in the analysis and model physical parameterizations. A primary goal in development of the 20-km RUC (or RUC20) has been improvement in warm-season and cold-season quantitative precipitation forecasts. Improvements in near-surface forecasts and cloud forecasts have also been targeted. The RUC20 provides improved forecasts for these variables, as well as for wind, temperature, and moisture above the surface.