WRF Post Processor - How to Configure and Compile

The NCEP WRF Postprocessor was designed to interpolate both WRF-NMM and WRF-ARW output from their native grids to National Weather Service (NWS) standard levels (pressure, height, etc.) and standard output grids (AWIPS, Lambert Conformal, polar-stereographic, etc.) in NWS and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) GRIB format. This package also provides an option to output fields on the model's native vertical levels.

Software requirement

 

Unpack the Code

gunzip WPP.tar.gz
tar -xvf WPP.tar.gz

NOTE: The tar file name will contain the version number (not shown here).

This command will create a new directory:

WPPV3/

 

Examine the WPP Source Code

Move into the WPPV3 directory you created:

cd WPPV3

Inside this directory, you will find the following files and subdirectories:

sorc/: contains source codes for wrfpost, ndate, and copygb.

scripts/: contains sample running scripts including:

run_wrfpost: run wrfpost and copygb.
run_wrfpostandgempak: run wrfpost, copygb, and GEMPAK to plot various fields.
run_wrfpostandgrads: run wrfpost, copygb, and GrADS to plot various fields.
run_wrfpost_frames: run wrfpost and copygb on a single wrfout file containing multiple forecast times.
run_wrfpost_gracet: run wrfpost and copygb on wrfout files with non-zero minutes/seconds.
run_wrfpost_minute: run wrfpost and copygb for sub-hourly wrfout files.

lib/: contains source code subdirectories for the WRF Postprocessor libraries and is the directory where the WRF Postprocessor compiled libraries will reside.

w3lib/: Library for coding and decoding data in GRIB format

Note: The version of this library included in this package is Endian-independent and can be used on LINUX and IBM systems.

iplib/: General interpolation library (see lib/iplib/iplib.doc )
splib/: Spectral transform library (see lib/splib/splib.doc )
wrfmpi_stubs/: Contains some C and FORTRAN codes to genereate libmpi.a library. It supports MPI implementation for LINUX applications.

parm/: Contains the parameter files, which can be modified by the user to control how the post processing is performed.

wrf_cntrl.parm

exec/: Location of executables after compilation.

 

Install WPP

WPP uses a build mechanism similar to that used by the WRF model. First issue the configure command, followed by the compile command.

If the WRFV3 directory is not located at:

../WRFV3

the following environment variable must be set:

setenv WRF_ DIR /home/user/WRFV3

  If this is not set, the configure script will prompt you for it.

Type configure, and provide the required info. For example:

./configure

You will be given a list of choices for your computer.

Choices for IBM machines are as follows:

1. AIX xlf compiler with xlc (serial)
2. AIX xlf compiler with xlc (dmpar)

Choices for LINUX operating systems are as follows:

1. LINUX i486 i586 i686, PGI compiler (serial)
2. LINUX i486 i586 i686, Intel compiler (serial)
3. LINUX i486 i586 i686, gfortran compiler (serial)

Choose one of the configure options listed. Check the configure.wpp file created and edit for compile options/paths, if necessary.

To compile WPP, enter the following command:

./compile >& compile_wpp.log &

This command should create four WRF Postprocessor libraries in lib/ (libmpi.a, libsp.a, libip.a, and libw3.a) and three WRF Postprocessor executables in exec/ (wrfpost.exe, ndate.exe, and copygb.exe).

To remove all built files, as well as the configure.wpp, type:

clean

This action is recommended if a mistake is made during the installation process.

 

For more details, see Chapter 7 of the WRF-NMM User's Guide.

If you have any questions, please write to wrfhelp@ucar.edu.