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BOIVerify

Overview

BOIse Verify (BOIVerify) is the baseline grid-based verification software in GFE. BOIVerify provides the following:

  • Archive of grid databases
    • Model, Official, and Obs databases
  • Statistical verification information
    • Created based on model, Official, and Obs database archives
  • Bias corrected grids
    • Applies the software calculated bias over the past 30 days to model grids

BOIVerify can perform bias correction to forecast models for temperatures (i.e., T, Td, MaxT, and MinT), relative humidity (i.e., MaxRH and MinRH), and wind (i.e., Wind and WindGust). Bias corrected grids require statistics calculations in order to be produced. Bias corrected grids are calculated using the following steps:

  1. A linear regression of forecast anomaly values to forecast errors is calculated for each grid point independently.
    1. These errors are based on "forecast" grid databases such as Official or GFS compared to the Obs database.
  2. The value is applied to the current model forecast to estimate the error value.
  3. The error value is removed from each grid point.

The top level BOIVerify directory is /data/verify. This directory is a part of the AWIPS baseline. The /data/verify directory includes three main subdirectories: scripts, Stats, and Grids. The scripts directory contains scripts used for various BOIVerify functions and optional configuration items for local offices. The Stats directory contains statistical information created based on grid archives and configuration settings. Files are in netCDF format and can be opened via the BOIVerify GUI in GFE. The Grids directory contains grid database archives. The Grids directory contains archived grid databases in netCDF format. Each element has its own subdirectory. In these directories, there are two files associated with each grid database:

  • Data file - modelname_element_name_data.nc
  • Index file - modelname_element_name_index.nc

The names of these files are self-explanatory, and both are required for BOIVerify to be able to use the data.

BOIVerify is launched via the Verify menu in GFE. There are two to five BOIVerify options (depending on if your site has the BOIVerify_WindStats.py file and if your site has the two BOIShort files from Central Region) under this menu:

  • BOIShort - launches the BOIShort user GUI. BOIShort allows hourly verification every three hours for short term models.
  • BOIShortInfo - provides a GUI allowing you check the grid inventory and change the forecasters associated with each grid in the BOIShort database.
  • BOIVerify - launches the main BOIVerify user GUI.
  • BOIVerifyInfo - provides a GUI allowing you check the grid inventory and change the forecasters associated with each grid in the BOIVerify database.
  • BOIVerify_WindStats - launches a BOIVerify user GUI that can be run for Wind or Wind Gust which runs BOIVerify and then outputs a csv file.