Computer Model Makes Forecasting Easier

"I'm excited about the project becauseit's working," says John McHenry, who runs the model atMCNC'sSupercomputingCenterin the Research Triangle Park.

Meteorologists fromN.C. StateUniversityand theStateClimate Officeare also involved in the project.

"It's not exciting that we have a model so much as we havea good team," McHenry says. "It takes a good team to makea good model and to implement a model in a way that makes sense and that'swhat we've done."

WRAL's team of meteorologists can take the model and convert it intographics that are shown during their forecasts. The graphics are able to show changes in temperature, how much rain will fall and where thunderstorms will pop up.

The data that goes into WRAL's computer models comes from specificpoints around the globe. In order to have a perfect forecast, it isimportant to know what is happening with every molecule in the atmosphere all over the worldat any given time.

N.C. Weatherscope is one of the only collaborations between a TV stationand the research community in the country.