NAM AIR QUALITY DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
1016 AM EDT MON JUN 04 2012


*** The following information pertains to initialization errors
noted on the 12Z NAM that may negatively impact the performance of
the 12Z CMAQ output as used for air quality forecasting.
Specifically, errors that apply to temperature, winds, relative
humidity and precipitation are included. This discussion only
applies to geographical regions of the CONUS where air quality is
currently forecast to be degraded (i.e. CODES:
YELLOW/ORANGE/RED/PURPLE/MAROON). ***


...GULF COAST...
NO SIGNIFICANT TEMPERATURE OR WIND ERRORS WERE NOTED.  THE NAM
INITIALIZATION APPEARS SLIGHTLY DRY IN THE MID-LEVELS NEAR PANAMA
CITY FLORIDA.  THE NAM COMPLETELY MISSED THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA AND NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.


...OKLAHOMA/MIDWEST...
ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA...THE NAM WAS 5F TOO WARM.  ACROSS CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...THE NAM WINDS WERE 10 KNOTS TOO LIGHT.  THE
NAM SURFACE WINDS WERE NOT NORTHERLY ENOUGH/TOO WESTERLY ACROSS
SOUTHERN INDIANA.  THE NAM DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE MOIST ENOUGH IN
THE MID LEVELS NEAR THE ARKANSAS/OKLAHOMA BORDER AND APPEARS TOO
MOIST ACROSS TOO LARGE OF AN AREA OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS.  THE NAM
WAS A TOO DRY AND ABOUT 100 MILES TOO FAR NORTH WITH ITS
PRECIPITATION AREA ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND ARKANSAS.  THE NAM
WAS ABOUT 50 MILES TOO FAR NORTHEAST WITH ITS SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM
AXIS ACROSS INDIANA AND ILLINOIS.


...UTAH/COLORADO/NEW MEXICO...
ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN COLORADO AS WELL AS NORTHWESTERN NEW
MEXICO...THE NAM WAS 10F TOO WARM.  NEAR GRAND JUNCTION
COLORADO...ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO...AND SALT LAKE CITY UTAH THE
NAM WAS 10-15F TOO COLD.  NEAR SALT LAKE CITY UTAH AND THE
UTAH/COLORADO BORDER...THE NAM WAS 10 KNOTS TOO WEAK WITH THE
SURFACE WINDS.  BETWEEN LIMON AND CIMARRON HILLS COLORADO...THE
NAM WAS TOO WESTERLY/NOT NORTHERLY ENOUGH WITH THE SURFACE WIND
DIRECTION.  THE LIGHT PRECIPITATION THE NAM FORECAST ACROSS
EASTERN NEW MEXICO AND SPOTS OF WESTERN COLORADO DOES NOT APPEAR
TO BE OCCURRING.


...SOUTHWEST...
ACROSS MUCH OF INTERIOR SOUTHERN AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA...SOUTHERN
ARIZONA...AS WELL AS SOUTHERN AND WESTERN NEVADA...THE NAM WAS
10-15F TOO COLD.  NEAR PINE VALLEY CALIFORNIA...THE NAM WAS 10F
TOO WARM.  FROM FRAZIER PARK TO BARSTOW AND BETWEEN RED BLUFF AND
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA...THE NAM WAS 10-20 KNOTS TOO
WEAK WITH THE SURFACE WIND FIELD.


ROTH