Performance of Weather Forecast Models in the Rescue of Dr. Ronald Shemenski from the South Pole in April 2001

Abstract

In late April 2001, an unprecedented late-season flight to Amundsen?Scott South Pole Station was made in the evacuation of Dr. Ronald Shemenski, a medical doctor seriously ill with pancreatitis. This case study analyzes the performance of four of the numerical weather prediction models that aided meteorologists in forecasting weather throughout the operation: 1) the Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) Polar MM5 (fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University?National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model), 2) the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Aviation Model (AVN), 3) the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) global forecast model, and 4) the NCAR Global MM5. To identify specific strengths and weaknesses, key variables for each model are statistically analyzed for all forecasts initialized between 21 and 25 April for several points over West Antarctica at the surface and at 500- and 700-hPa levels. The ECMWF model performs with the highest overall skill, generally having the lowest bias and rms errors and highest correlations for the examined fields. The AMPS Polar MM5 exhibits the next best skill, followed by AVN and Global MM5. For the surface variables, all of the models show high skill in predicting surface pressure but demonstrate modest skill in predicting temperature, wind speed, and wind direction. In the free atmosphere, the models show high skill in forecasting geopotential height, considerable skill in predicting temperature and wind direction, and good skill in predicting wind speed. In general, the models produce very useful forecasts in the free atmosphere, but substantial efforts are still needed to improve the surface prediction. The spatial resolution of each model exerts an important influence on forecast accuracy, especially in the complex topography of the Antarctic coastal regions. The initial and boundary conditions for the AMPS Polar MM5 exert a significant influence on forecasts.