Title: Improvements%20in%20Skill%20of%20CPC%20Outlooks%20%20Ed%20O
1Improvements in Skill of CPC OutlooksEd
OLenic and Ken Pelman, NOAA-NWS-Climate
Prediction Center 33rd Climate Diagnostics and
Prediction Workshop, October 21-24, 2008,
Lincoln, Nebraska
2Introduction
- This paper discusses recent improvements in the
skill and coverage of CPC T, P Outlooks. - The heidke skill score and the percentage of
non-EC probabilities are the performance
measures. -
- s ((c-e)/(t-e))100 , -50 lt s lt 100
- s is the percent improvement over random forecasts
3- CPC 3-Month Outlook map lines show the
probability that the indicated category, B, N, or
A, will occur. - In blank regions, the probabilities of B, N, A
are equal at 1/3 each (EC), and give no forecast.
- Lines show Non-EC (potentially useful) forecast
regions. - On a line, probabilities of B and A vary
simultaneously and inversely above and below
33.33, while that of N usually stays at 33.33.
- The 3 sum to 100 at every point on the map.
4How CPC Outlooks are Made
- CPC 3-month outlooks are currently made using a
combination of at least 5 tools, in consultation
with partners. - From 1995- 2004 these tools were weighted
subjectively. In 2006, an objective
consolidation (CON) was introduced, which weights
the tools by skill history and spread (Unger et
al, 2008). - Retrospective verification of CON forecasts shows
them to be much more skillful than official (OFF)
1995-2004 outlooks (OLenic et al, 2008), in both
categorical U.S. average skill, and in coverage
by non-equal-chances (non-EC) forecasts,
properties users want.
5NEW OTLK
6NEW OTLK
7HSS
OFF
½ MO LEAD PRECIPITATION RESULTS Heidke Skill
Score (HSS, lines) and Percent Non-EC (colors),
Map average Non-EC. A. OFFICIAL FORECAST
(OFF) B. CONSOLIDATION (CON) C. DIFFERENCE,
CON-minus-OFF, US average
Non-EC CON raises US annual average HSS from 9
to 12 compared with OFF
Area non-ec14
Area non-ec27
A
Map color legend,
Area non-ec20
Area non-ec33
HSS
CON
DIF
Area non-ec35
Area non-ec32
8
18
B
C
Area non-ec53
Area non-ec36
20
16
8HSS
OFF
½ MO LEAD TEMPERATURE RESULTS Heidke Skill Score
(HSS, lines) and Percent Non-EC (colors), Map
average Non-EC. A. OFFICIAL FORECAST (OFF) B.
CONSOLIDATION (CON) C. DIFFERENCE CON OFF US
average Non-EC CON raises US annual average
HSS from 22 to 26 compared with OFF
Area non-ec47
Area non-ec46
A
Map color legend,
Area non-ec27
Area non-ec41
HSS
CON
DIF
Area non-ec78
Area non-ec57
11
31
B
C
40
Area non-ec96
55
Area non-ec67
9GPRA Score Official Skill Metric48-Mo. Running
Mean U.S. Average T HSS
10SUMMARY
- - Outlook prepared subjectively 1995-2004
- - Objective consolidation begun 2006
- - Retrospective verification shows significant
increase in CON skill over OFF - - Western and Eastern P forecasts better than
many areas - - Forecasts are better, more objective
- - Higher categorical skill
- - Far fewer EC forecasts
- - P HSS rose from 9 (OFF) to 12 (CON) (US ann.
mean) - - T HSS rose from 22 (OFF) to 26 (CON) (US ann.
mean) - - Non-EC rises in all seasons, gt30 for P, gt50
for T - - Official T skill rose starting in 2006 due to
use of CON.
11Forecast Evaluation Tool Example of a Means to
Address Gaps
- What FET and CLIDDSS provide
- User-centric forecast evaluation and data access
and display capability. - Leveraging of community software development
capabilities. - Opportunity to DISCOVER, collect, and invest in
user requirements.
12FUTURE Implement FET at CPC
13FUTURE Implement FET at CPC
14FETA Wide Variety of Skill Renderings
A
A
B
B
A
B
B
A
P
T
B
B
A
A
15FUTURE of the FET
- Next 6 months
- Finalize and implement FET project plan at CPC.
- Ellen Lay (CLIMAS) to train CPC personnel on FET
version control and bug tracking at CPC, November
12-14, 2008. - Necessary software (APACHE TOMCAT, JAVA, Desktop
View) acquired and installed at CPC. - Forecast, observations datasets in-place at CPC.
- FET code ported to CPC, installed, tested.
- FET installed to NWS Web Operations Center (WOC)
servers