Impact of physical initialization on cloud forecasts

Summary The impact of initial data on cloud forecasts by the Florida State University Global Spectral Model (FSUGSM) has been investigated. This work has shown that improving the information content of the initial data by physical initialization has a very strong, positive impact on cloud forecasts. Model spin-up of clouds is considerably reduced. There is an overall better representation of high, middle, low, and total clouds over the tropics and there is a discernible improvement in the prediction of clouds. A strong correlation between cloud shortwave forcing and longwave forcing has been noted in model forecasts with the physically initialized data. This result compares very well with observations from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE).With 10 Figures