Mesoscale and urban-scale modeling support for the Oklahoma City joint-urban 2003 field program

The use of NCAR/ATEC RTFDDA system as a nowcast/forecast system during the Joint Urban 2003 (JU03) Field Experiment on atmospheric dispersion held in Oklahoma, during July 2003, is discussed. The focus of the experiment was to characterize the flow of a tracer gas in an urban environment. The system provided the forecasters with timely high-resolution forecasts, insight into four-dimensional urban meteorology, and the ability to produce transport and dispersion calculations. The success of the system relied on the ability to incorporate conventional, non-conventional and local JU03 observations, and the Noah land-surface model that captured urban land use.