NAM AIR QUALITY DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
1020 AM EDT TUE JUL 10 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). ***


...INTERIOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...
...LOWER COLORADO VALLEY...

THE NAM INITIALIZED SURFACE TEMPERATURES AS MUCH AS 10 TO 20
DEGREES TOO COOL AT A FEW LOCATIONS NEAR THE EDGE OF THE
MOUNTAINS...LIKELY DUE TO ITS TERRAIN RESOLUTION.


...NORTHERN FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO...

RELATIVELY LITTLE ERROR WAS NOTED ALONG THE IMMEDIATE FRONT RANGE.
THE NAM DID INITIALIZE WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES 5 TO 8 DEGREES
TOO WARM FARTHER EAST INTO THE PLAINS OF EASTERN COLORADO.

BANN/BURKE