Validating NU-WRF Simulations During GPM Field Campaigns for Various Precipitation Systems

Several recent GPM supported/co-sponsored field campaigns have provided excellent measurements that can be used for model validations, such as Mid-latitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) and GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx). In this study, we want to test Goddard microphysics through the validation for a wide range of precipitation systems with contrasting mechanisms. Four cases are selected from MC3E covering deep convective vs. widespread stratiform systems (1st, 20th, 23rd, and 24th May 2011). And two cases are selected from GCPEx covering lake effect vs. synoptic snow events (10th and 12th February 2012). Each case will be validated rigorously against available field campaign datasets with an emphasis on microphysics structure of the precipitating systems, such as brightness temperature, particle size distribution, and ice water content. In addition, by comparing simulations to similar types of observations those are widely available in different geophysical locations, such as radar reflectivity from NEXRAD and precipitation from NLDAS, we want to find out whether these model-observation differences are case dependent or systematically biased across different precipitating systems in our current model. The above effort will be beneficial for algorithm development and model improvement.