Note

Click here to download the full example code

5.2.4.1. Grid-Stat: 24-hour QPF Use Case

Demonstrates use of in-tool regridding and application of masking regions. (GFS:CCPA:Grib2)

Scientific Objective

To evaluate 24 hour precipitation over the United States using the NCEP Climatology Calibrated Precipitation Analysis (CCPA) generated by a global weather model.

Datasets

Relevant information about the datasets that would be beneficial include:

  • Forecast dataset: GFS

  • Observation dataset: Climatologically Calibrated Precipitation Analysis (CCPA)

  • Sources of data (links, contacts, etc…)

METplus Components

This use case first runs PCPCombine on the observation data to build a 24 hour precipitation accumulation file. Then the observation data are compared to the forecast data using GridStat.

METplus Workflow

The following tools are used for each run time:

PCPCombine (observation) > GridStat

This example loops by valid time. There is only one initialization time in this example, so the following will be run:

Run times:

Init: 2017-06-13_00Z
Forecast lead: 24

METplus Configuration

METplus first loads all of the configuration files found in parm/metplus_config, then it loads any configuration files passed to METplus via the command line with the -c option, i.e. -c parm/use_cases/model_applications/precipitation/GridStat_fcstGFS_obsCCPA_GRIB.conf

# Grid to Grid Precipitation Example

[config]
# time looping - options are INIT, VALID, RETRO, and REALTIME
LOOP_BY = VALID

# Format of VALID_BEG and VALID_END
VALID_TIME_FMT = %Y%m%d%H

# Start time for METplus run
VALID_BEG = 2017061300

# End time for METplus run
VALID_END = 2017061300

# Increment between METplus runs in seconds. Must be >= 60
VALID_INCREMENT = 86400

# Options are times, processes
# times = run all items in the PROCESS_LIST for a single initialization
# time, then repeat until all times have been evaluated.
# processes = run each item in the PROCESS_LIST for all times
#   specified, then repeat for the next item in the PROCESS_LIST.
LOOP_ORDER = times

# List of applications to run
PROCESS_LIST = PcpCombine, GridStat

# run pcp_combine on forecast data
FCST_PCP_COMBINE_RUN = True

# mode of pcp_combine to use (SUM, ADD, SUBTRACT)
FCST_PCP_COMBINE_METHOD = SUM

# list of variables to compare
BOTH_VAR1_NAME = APCP
BOTH_VAR1_LEVELS = A24

# list of forecast leads to process
LEAD_SEQ = 24

# description of data to be processed
# used in output file path
MODEL = GFS
OBTYPE = ANLYS

# location of grid_stat MET config file
GRID_STAT_CONFIG_FILE = {CONFIG_DIR}/GridStatConfig_precip

GRID_STAT_OUTPUT_PREFIX = {MODEL}_{CURRENT_FCST_NAME}_vs_{OBTYPE}_{CURRENT_OBS_NAME}_{CURRENT_FCST_LEVEL}

# Forecast data description variables
FCST_PCP_COMBINE_INPUT_DATATYPE = GRIB
FCST_IS_PROB = false
FCST_PCP_COMBINE_INPUT_ACCUMS = 6

# Observation data description variables
#  none needed

[dir]
# input and output data directories
FCST_PCP_COMBINE_INPUT_DIR = {INPUT_BASE}/model_applications/precipitation/fcst
FCST_PCP_COMBINE_OUTPUT_DIR = {OUTPUT_BASE}/model_applications/precipitation/GridStat_fcstGFS_obsCCPA_GRIB/gfs/bucket
FCST_GRID_STAT_INPUT_DIR = {FCST_PCP_COMBINE_OUTPUT_DIR}

OBS_GRID_STAT_INPUT_DIR = {INPUT_BASE}/model_applications/precipitation/daily_1deg_ccpa

GRID_STAT_OUTPUT_DIR = {OUTPUT_BASE}/model_applications/precipitation/GridStat_fcstGFS_obsCCPA_GRIB/met_out/{MODEL}/precip

# location of configuration files used by MET applications
CONFIG_DIR={PARM_BASE}/use_cases/model_applications/precipitation

[filename_templates]
# format of filenames
# GFS
FCST_PCP_COMBINE_INPUT_TEMPLATE = pgbf{lead?fmt=%HHH}.gfs.{init?fmt=%Y%m%d%H}
FCST_PCP_COMBINE_OUTPUT_TEMPLATE = gfs.{init?fmt=%Y%m%d%H}_A{level?fmt=%HH}h
FCST_GRID_STAT_INPUT_TEMPLATE = gfs.{init?fmt=%Y%m%d%H}_A{level?fmt=%HH}h

# ANLYS
OBS_GRID_STAT_INPUT_TEMPLATE = ccpa_conus_1.0d_{valid?fmt=%Y%m%d}

GRID_STAT_OUTPUT_TEMPLATE = {valid?fmt=%Y%m%d%H%M}/grid_stat

MET Configuration

METplus sets environment variables based on the values in the METplus configuration file. These variables are referenced in the MET configuration file. YOU SHOULD NOT SET ANY OF THESE ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES YOURSELF! THEY WILL BE OVERWRITTEN BY METPLUS WHEN IT CALLS THE MET TOOLS! If there is a setting in the MET configuration file that is not controlled by an environment variable, you can add additional environment variables to be set only within the METplus environment using the [user_env_vars] section of the METplus configuration files. See the ‘User Defined Config’ section on the ‘System Configuration’ page of the METplus User’s Guide for more information.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// Grid-Stat configuration file.
//
// For additional information, see the MET_BASE/config/README file.
//
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Output model name to be written
//
model = "${MODEL}";

//
// Output description to be written
// May be set separately in each "obs.field" entry
//
desc = "NA";

//
// Output observation type to be written
//
obtype = "${OBTYPE}";

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Verification grid
//
regrid = {
   to_grid    = "G211";
   method     = BILIN;
   width      = 2;
   vld_thresh = 0.5;
   shape      = SQUARE;
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// May be set separately in each "field" entry
//
censor_thresh = [];
censor_val    = [];
cnt_thresh    = [ NA ];
cnt_logic     = UNION;
wind_thresh   = [ NA ];
wind_logic    = UNION;
eclv_points   = 0.05;
nc_pairs_var_suffix = "";
nc_pairs_var_name = "";
rank_corr_flag   = FALSE;

//
// Forecast and observation fields to be verified
//
fcst = {
    field = [ ${FCST_FIELD} ];
    };

obs = {
    field = [ ${OBS_FIELD} ];
    };

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Climatology data
//
climo_mean = {

   file_name = [];
   field     = [];

   regrid = {
      method     = BILIN;
      width      = 2;
      vld_thresh = 0.5;
      shape      = SQUARE;
   }

   time_interp_method = NEAREST;
   match_month        = TRUE;
   match_day          = TRUE;
   time_step          = 21600;
}

climo_stdev = climo_mean;
climo_stdev = {
   file_name = [];
}

climo_cdf_bins = 1;
write_cdf_bins = FALSE;

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Verification masking regions
//
mask = {
   grid = [ "FULL" ];
   poly = [ "${INPUT_BASE}/model_applications/precipitation/poly/CONUS.nc",
            "${INPUT_BASE}/model_applications/precipitation/poly/EAST.nc",
            "${INPUT_BASE}/model_applications/precipitation/poly/WEST.nc" ];
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Confidence interval settings
//
ci_alpha  = [ 0.05 ];

boot = {
   interval = PCTILE;
   rep_prop = 1.0;
   n_rep    = 0;
   rng      = "mt19937";
   seed     = "";
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Data smoothing methods
//
interp = {
   field      = BOTH;
   vld_thresh = 1.0;
   shape      = SQUARE;

   type = [
      {
         method = NEAREST;
         width  = 1;
      }
   ];
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Neighborhood methods
//
nbrhd = {
   field      = BOTH;
   width      = [ 1 ];
   cov_thresh = [ >=0.5 ];
   vld_thresh = 1.0;
   shape      = SQUARE;
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Fourier decomposition
//
fourier = {
   wave_1d_beg = [];
   wave_1d_end = [];
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Gradient statistics
// May be set separately in each "obs.field" entry
//
gradient = {
   dx = [ 1 ];
   dy = [ 1 ];
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//
// Statistical output types
//
output_flag = {
   fho    = NONE;
   ctc    = STAT;
   cts    = NONE;
   mctc   = NONE;
   mcts   = NONE;
   cnt    = NONE;
   sl1l2  = NONE;
   sal1l2 = NONE;
   vl1l2  = NONE;
   val1l2 = NONE;
   vcnt   = NONE;
   pct    = NONE;
   pstd   = NONE;
   pjc    = NONE;
   prc    = NONE;
   eclv   = NONE;
   nbrctc = NONE;
   nbrcts = NONE;
   nbrcnt = NONE;
   grad   = NONE;
}

//
// NetCDF matched pairs output file
//
nc_pairs_flag   = {
   latlon     = FALSE;
   raw        = FALSE;
   diff       = FALSE;
   climo      = FALSE;
   weight     = FALSE;
   nbrhd      = FALSE;
   fourier    = FALSE;
   gradient   = FALSE;
   apply_mask = FALSE;
}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

grid_weight_flag = NONE;
tmp_dir          = "/tmp";
output_prefix    = "${OUTPUT_PREFIX}";
//version		 = "V9.0";
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

See the following files for more information about the environment variables set in this configuration file.

parm/use_cases/met_tool_wrapper/GridStat/GridStat.py

Running METplus

This use case can be run two ways:

  1. Passing in GridStat_fcstGFS_obsCCPA_GRIB.conf then a user-specific system configuration file:

    master_metplus.py -c /path/to/METplus/parm/use_cases/model_applications/precipitation/GridStat_fcstGFS_obsCCPA_GRIB.conf -c /path/to/user_system.conf

  2. Modifying the configurations in parm/metplus_config, then passing in GridStat_fcstGFS_obsCCPA_GRIB:

    master_metplus.py -c /path/to/METplus/parm/use_cases/model_applications/precipitation/GridStat_fcstGFS_obsCCPA_GRIB.conf

The former method is recommended. Whether you add them to a user-specific configuration file or modify the metplus_config files, the following variables must be set correctly:

  • INPUT_BASE - Path to directory where sample data tarballs are unpacked (See Datasets section to obtain tarballs). This is not required to run METplus, but it is required to run the examples in parm/use_cases

  • OUTPUT_BASE - Path where METplus output will be written. This must be in a location where you have write permissions

  • MET_INSTALL_DIR - Path to location where MET is installed locally

Example User Configuration File:

[dir]
INPUT_BASE = /path/to/sample/input/data
OUTPUT_BASE = /path/to/output/dir
MET_INSTALL_DIR = /path/to/met-X.Y

NOTE: All of these items must be found under the [dir] section.

Expected Output

A successful run will output the following both to the screen and to the logfile:

INFO: METplus has successfully finished running.

Refer to the value set for OUTPUT_BASE to find where the output data was generated. Output for this use case will be found in model_applications/precipitation/GridStat_fcstGFS_obsCCPA_GRIB/grid_stat/20170613 (relative to OUTPUT_BASE) and will contain the following files:

  • grid_stat_GFS_APCP_vs_ANLYS_APCP_A24_240000L_20170613_000000V.stat