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Clustering - Medium-range

Note: HRES and Ensemble Control Forecast (ex-HRES) are scientifically, structurally and computationally identical.  With effect from Cy49r1, Ensemble Control Forecast (ex-HRES) output is equivalent to HRES output where shown in the diagrams.   At the time of the diagrams, HRES had resolution of 9km and ensemble members had a resolution of 18km.

Weather scenarios

The emphasis is on large-scale developments when clustering ensemble members and so the 500hPa and 1000hPa geopotential forecast fields are used for daily weather scenarios.   The area considered covers Europe and its immediate surroundings including the northeast Atlantic.

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To ensure synoptic consistency, each individual ensemble member must belong to the same cluster throughout the lead-time window.   For two members to be assigned to the same cluster, they must display similar synoptic 500hPa development over the whole time window.  However, weak gradients in 500hPa forecasts can lead to synoptically rather different members being assigned to the same cluster because of the the RMS norm.  The clustering scheme is designed to create no more than six clusters.

Most representative member

A cluster is represented not by the mean of its members but by its most representative member (MRM or cluster scenario).  This is selected by a pattern-matching algorithm minimising root mean square differences between the “centre of gravity” of the cluster and each member.  The most representative member is chosen to symbolize the cluster.  But it should not be used as a deterministic forecast, nor should it be seen as a substitute for the cluster average (cluster averages are not currently available as web charts but are available for download from MARS).

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The web site includes cluster products equivalent to Fig8.1.3.1-2 for each of the four predefined lead-time windows.  For additional information, the 1000hPa geopotential fields are also provided for each ensemble scenario to show the corresponding near-surface evolution.  Users should note that for these the clustering has been made on the 500hPa fields, not the 1000hPa fields.  Whilst the user should not treat the most representative members as deterministic solutions, it can nonetheless be helpful to examine the details of the evolution in such members, to see how a particular scenario can plausibly arise and evolve.  One good way to do this is to use the cyclone database products presented by the extra-tropical cyclone diagrams, specifically the animations, at 12 hour intervals, of synoptic patterns for individual members.

Weather Regimes

After day10, it is desirable to place the daily clustering in the context of the large-scale flow and to allow the investigation of regime changes.  Use of weather regimes indicates differences between most representative members (MRMs or Cluster scenarios) in terms of the large-scale flow and provides information about the possible transitions between regimes during the forecast.  

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Fig8.1.3.1-6 As Fig8.1.3.1-2 but referring to the forecast DT 00UTC 05 March 2017, T+264 to T+360hr.  The colour of the frame surrounding each most representative member indicates the large scale climatological weather regimes to which it has been attributed.  On 500hPa plots such as these, shading denotes anomalies relative to climatology (as in Fig8.1.3.1-2).

Flow dependent skill

It has been found: 

• BL leads to the least accuracy in the forecasts - from Day3 the blocking frequencies are systematically underestimated.
• AR also leads to reduced accuracy in the forecasts – tends to be too persistent and missing transitions to BL.
• Transitions to BL are not well predicted in general, and appear particularly difficult when initially the cross-Atlantic westerly jet is in the southern location (NAO-) or the northern location (AR).
• Persistence of BL tends to be underestimated.
• Maintenance and/or transitions to an enhanced zonal flow (NAO+) tends to be overestimated.
• The ensemble spread is a useful indicator of the forecast error.
• -NAO has a higher skill than other types – The spread of the forecasts initiated in -NAO is significantly smaller than for the forecasts initiated in the other regimes.

Additional Sources of Information

(Note: In older material there may be references to issues that have subsequently been addressed)

• Read more on ENS clustering and cluster products.
• Read more on the clustering process and the weather clustering regimes.
• Read more on climatological clustering.