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NOUS41 KWBC 031750
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT 26-15
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS SILVER SPRING MD
1250 PM EST TUE MAR 03 2026
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
-NOAAPORT
OTHER NWS PARTNERS, USERS AND EMPLOYEES
FROM: FANGLIN YANG
ACTING CHIEF, COUPLED MODELING DIVISION
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING CENTER
NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
SUBJECT: SOLICITING COMMENTS THROUGH APRIL 05, 2026 ON THE
PROPOSED UPGRADE OF THE HURRICANE ANALYSIS AND FORECAST SYSTEM
(HAFS) TO VERSION 2.2
NWS IS SOLICITING COMMENTS THROUGH APRIL 05, 2026, ON A PROPOSED
UPGRADE OF THE OPERATIONAL HAFS TO VERSION 2.2.
HAFS CONSISTS OF TWO MODEL CONFIGURATIONS FOR GLOBAL (HAFS-A)
AND BASIN-SCALE (HAFS-B) TROPICAL STORM PREDICTION, WHICH ARE
BUILT UPON NOAA’S UNIFIED FORECAST SYSTEM (UFS). HAFS VERSION
2.2 IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE FORECASTING SKILL FOR TRACK AND
INTENSITY OF TROPICAL CYCLONES (TCS) WORLDWIDE (HAFS-A) AS WELL
AS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC AND EASTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH PACIFIC
BASINS (HAFS-B).
HAFS VERSION 2.2 INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING SCIENCE CHANGES:
- MODEL CODE UPDATES BASED ON THE LATEST UFS REVISION AS OF
FEBRUARY 04, 2026.
- ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS UPDATES:
* SCALE-AWARE 3D-TKE EDMF PLANETARY BOUNDARY LAYER (PBL)SCHEME
* NOAH-MP LAND SURFACE MODEL
* TRANSITION FROM RRTMG TO RRTMGP RADIATION SCHEME
* VARIABLE PBL MIXING LENGTH SCALES WITH WIND SPEED AND PBL
HEIGHT
- OCEAN MODEL UPDATES:
* LATEST MOM6 SUBMODULE WITH UPDATED PARAMETER OPTIONS
* UPDATED WW3 SUBMODULE
- VORTEX INITIALIZATION (VI) AND DATA ASSIMILATION (DA)
IMPROVEMENTS:
* ADJUSTED WARM CYCLING THRESHOLD
* VI RELATED CHANGES WITH STORM PERTURBATION SMOOTHING
* SYNC UP WITH THE LATEST GSI SUBMODULE AS OF FEBRUARY 4, 2026.
* ADJUSTED IAU WINDOW
* HAFS_DATOOL UPDATES: FIX RELATED TO UV_ROTATION, USE OF MPI
* TDR SUPEROBBING
* ADDITIONAL OBS: COMMERCIAL GPS RO AND SUAS OBSERVATION DATA
-POSTPROCESS
* UPDATED GFDL HURRICANE TRACKER
HAFS VERSION 2.2 INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING PRODUCT CHANGES:
A NEW VARIABLE, WIND GUST AT 10 M ABOVE THE GROUND, IS ADDED TO
THE GRIB2 PRODUCT. THERE ARE NO OTHER PRODUCT CHANGES. HAFS
PRODUCTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE FROM THE NOAA OPERATIONAL
MODEL ARCHIVE AND DISTRIBUTION SERVICES (NOMADS) WEB SERVICES.
PLEASE SUBMIT COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR REQUESTS ON SCIENCE
ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSED UPGRADE TO:
ZHAN ZHANG
HURRICANE MODELING PROJECT LEAD
COUPLED MODELING DIVISION
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING CENTER
ZHAN.ZHANG@NOAA.GOV
301-683-3674
FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON THE DATAFLOW ASPECT, PLEASE
CONTACT:
MARGARET CURTIS
DATAFLOW TEAM LEAD
NWS CENTRAL OPERATIONS
MARGARET.CURTIS@NOAA.GOV
207-200-5340
NATIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS ARE ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NOTIFICATION
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