Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center Verification Status Overview

The Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) is the US Navy’s premier numerical environmental modeling center providing numerical atmospheric and oceanographic forecasts to navy assets and customers. FNMOC runs multiple forecast models (both deterministic and ensemble) resolving both mesoscale and synoptic features important to our customers and critical to the success of the navy mission. Enhancing the model skill and expanding the knowledge of model forecast limitations are important for ensuring that our customers know how to best leverage model forecasts with the goal of improving mission success. These verification results also help to guide research and development efforts by identifying model deficiencies needing improvement. The unique environmental challenges encountered in naval operations also require unique methods and focuses of verification efforts. Previous achievements, current capabilities, and future efforts involving METPlus will be discussed in the broader context of generic model verification with an emphasis given to the unique challenges that visibility, clouds, and fog have on naval operations and FNMOC's environmental modeling.