NAM AIR QUALITY DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
959 AM EDT WED JUL 18 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). ***


SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...
MID ATLANTIC...
NORTH CAROLINA...
MIDWEST...

THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT INITIALIZATION ERRORS NOTED WITH THE NAM
IN THESE REGIONS.


NORTHERN FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO...

THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT INITIALIZATION ERRORS NOTED WITH THE NAM
IN THIS REGION.


INTERIOR VALLEYS OF CALIFORNIA...
LOWER COLORADO VALLEY...

THE NAM INITIALIZED SURFACE TEMPERATURES AS MUCH AS 15 TO 20
DEGREES TOO COOL NEAR THE MOUNTAINS IN THESE REGIONS...MOST LIKELY
DUE TO ITS TERRAIN RESOLUTION.


CISCO