lami7 stands for 'Limited Area Model Italy' which is the Italian implementation of COSMO Model, run with a 7 km grid interval. COSMO model in lami7 suite is run operationally twice a day with a 7 km grid interval; it is initialised at 00 and 12 UTC with an own continuous assimilation cycle based on the nudging technique; the boundary conditions are provided by ECMWF IFS model; the integration domain ranges approximately from 0 deg E to 23 deg E and from 33 deg N to 52 deg N and the integration time range is 72 hours. The model is run at Cineca computing centre (http://www.cineca.it) on an IBM Power5 platform and in backup at ARPA-SIM (http://www.arpa.emr.it/sim/) on a Intel X86-64 Linux Cluster. Grid description: If given, the grid increments contained in the grib file have to be ignored since the precision for those parameters in GRIB1 format is not enough to represent the true value. DDOM: xfirst: -5.0 yfirst: -15.5 xsize: 186.0 ysize: 136.0 xinc: 0.0625 yinc: 0.0625 xnpole: 32.5 ynpole: -170.0

- preoperational model (planned to become operational in 2008) - configuration: Runge Kutta time integration scheme (dt=20sek); multi layer soil module; no parameterized deep convection; 60 levels; prognostic TKE, rain, snow and graupel - model runs are started at 00UTC 03UTC 09UTC 12UTc and 18UTC. Forecast range is 24h, except 09 and 18 run ranging upt to 30h. To complete the timeseries, dummy text files have been generated for 06UTC, 15UTC, 21UTC. Missing time steps are filled with dummy text files as well. Note: From 12th of July 2007 on, +24h forecasts are produced for 06, 15 and 21 UTC as well. Grid description: CDOM: xfirst: -2.76 yfirst: -0.02 xsize: 174.0 ysize: 141.0 xinc: 0.02 yinc: 0.02 xnpole: -170.0 ynpole: 43.0 DDOM: xfirst: -5.5 yfirst: -3.8 xsize: 500.0 ysize: 330.0 xinc: 0.02 yinc: 0.02 xnpole: -170.0 ynpole: 43.0

The Canadian Meterological Centre (CMC) is running the Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model in limited-area mode for the duration of the MAP D-PHASE project (1 June - 31 November 2007). The model is run once-daily directly from operational GEM meso-global forecast data (grid spacing of 33 km). A pair of domains are used for the project with horizontal grid spacings of 15 km and 2.5 km. This outer (low resolution or driving) grid is initialized daily at 0000 UTC and covers all of Europe, out to the British Isles, the North Sea, and Nortern Africa. The timestep for this forecast is 300 sec and outputs are available hourly. No regional analysis or data assimilation cycle is undertaken during this project. All observational data will therefore be ingested only indrectly in the regional setup through the outer grid initialization and hourly boundary updates from the meso-global model. The GEM model is a semi-implicit, semi-Lagrangian, two time-level, non-hydrostatic model that runs in a wide variety of configurations. An updated version (v3.3.0) of the GEM model is being used for the MAP D-PHASE project in preparation for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games project. This version takes advantage of recent developments designed to enhance the quality of guidance over regions of steeply-sloping orography, including the addition of a 6-category bulk microphysics scheme and time-varying orography over the initialization period. For more information on -the GEM model dynamics: see Cote et al (1998) [Mon. Wea. Rev.]. -the model physics package: contact Recherche en Prevision Numerique for the related technical document by Mailhot. -the model's microphysics scheme: see Milbrandt and Yau (2007) [Mon. Wea. Rev.]. Grid description: DDOM: xfirst: 2.0 yfirst: 43.0 xsize: 201.0 ysize: 101.0 xinc: 0.08 yinc: 0.07 xnpole: 0.0 ynpole: 0.0

lami28 stands for 'Limited Area Model Italy' which is the Italian implementation of COSMO Model, run with a 2.8 km grid interval. COSMO model in lami28 suite is run operationally once a day with a 2.8 km grid interval; it is initialised at 00 UTC with the lami7 interpolated analysis; the boundary conditions as well are provided by lami7 model; the integration domain ranges approximately from 6°E to 19°E and from 36°N to 48°N and the integration time range is 48 hours. The model is run at Cineca computing centre (http://www.cineca.it) on an IBM Power5 platform. The PICS datasets was not provided due to computer time constraints. Please note: data are available ONLY from 09/10/2007 to 30/11/2007. Grid description: DDOM: xfirst: -3.5 yfirst: -15.425 xsize: 417.0 ysize: 272.0 xinc: 0.025 yinc: 0.025 xnpole: 32.5 ynpole: -170.0

The forecasting chain is based on the 00 UTC, GFS forecasts at 0.5 degree resolution. The chain comprises the hydrostatic model BOLAM, which is driven directly by the global model, and the non-hydrostatic model MOLOCH (horizontal resolution 0.02 degrees), which is nested in cascade using a 1-way nesting procedure. BOLAM run starts at 00 UTC, MOLOCH is nested at 09 UTC. MOLOCH domain is smaller than official DPHASE domain. A 39-h MOLOCH forecast is provided daily. Only a sub-set of TIGGE list is provided (see DS). More information available here: http://www.isac.cnr.it/~dinamica/ Grid description: lat-lon Arakawa C grid. Rotated equidistant grid. DDOM: xfirst: -2.69 yfirst: -1.84 xsize: 340.0 ysize: 290.0 xinc: 0.02 yinc: 0.02 xnpole: -171.0 ynpole: 44.7

Hydrological forecasts with hydrological model LARSIM (LARSIM=LArge Area Runoof Simulation Model, BY=Bavaria, Conceptual RR-model. Forecast depth: 72 hours.) for rivers Iller and Lech (DE) driven by numerical weather prediction models LME, GME, GFS. The runs were performed by "Wasserwirtschaftsamt Kempten" (WWA-KE).

COSMO-ME is the high-resolution operational implementation of COSMO Model at the National Meteorological Service of Italy. The model domain covers most of continental Europe and the entire Mediterranean Basin. The horizontal resolution is 7km (0.0625deg) with 40 vertical levels. The model is routinely run on the ECMWF super-computer once a day at 00Z with hourly output. The initial conditions are interpolated from the Italian Met. Service 3DVAR-FGAT data assimilation system. The boundary conditions (BC) are provided by IFS global model. Grid description: DDOM: xfirst: -5.875 yfirst: -14.312 xsize: 194.0 ysize: 112.0 xinc: 0.0625 yinc: 0.0625 xnpole: -170.0 ynpole: 32.5

The forecasting chain is based on the 18 UTC, ECMWF forecasts at 0.25 degree resolution. The chain comprises the hydrostatic model BOLAM, which is driven directly by the global model, and the non-hydrostatic model MOLOCH (horizontal resolution 0.02 degrees), which is nested in cascade using a 1-way nesting procedure. BOLAM run starts at 18 UTC, MOLOCH is nested at 00 UTC. MOLOCH domain is smaller than official DPHASE domain. A 48-h MOLOCH forecast is provided daily. Only a sub-set of TIGGE list is provided (see DS). More information available here: http://www.isac.cnr.it/~dinamica/ Grid description: lat-lon Arakawa C grid. Rotated equidistant grid. DDOM: xfirst: -3.5 yfirst: -14.0 xsize: 330.0 ysize: 290.0 xinc: 0.021 yinc: 0.02 xnpole: -170.0 ynpole: 32.5

For Map-D-PHASE the Canadian Meterological Centre (CMC) is running the Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model in limited-area mode. The model is run once-daily directly from operational GEM meso-global forecast data (grid spacing of 33 km). A pair of domains are used for the project with horizontal grid spacings of 15 km and 2.5 km. This inner (high resolution) grid is tightly centered on the MAP D-PHASE project region and is initialized at 0600 UTC from the CMCGEML run. Boundary conditions for the high resolution domain are updated at 15 minute intervals from the low resolution model output. The forecast timestep is 60 seconds and data is available at 15 minute intervals. No regional analysis or data assimilation cycle is undertaken during this project. All observational data will therefore be ingested only indrectly in the regional setup through the outer grid initialization and hourly boundary updates from the meso-global model. The GEM model is a semi-implicit, semi-Lagrangian, two time-level, non-hydrostatic model that runs in a wide variety of configurations. An updated version (v3.3.0) of the GEM model is being used for the MAP D-PHASE project in preparation for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games project. This version takes advantage of recent developments designed to enhance the quality of guidance over regions of steeply-sloping orography, including the addition of a 6-category bulk microphysics scheme and time-varying orography over the initialization period. For more information on -the GEM model dynamics: see Cote et al (1998) [Mon. Wea. Rev.]. -the model physics package: contact Recherche en Prevision Numerique for the related technical document by Mailhot. -the model's microphysics scheme: see Milbrandt and Yau (2007) [Mon. Wea. Rev.]. Grid description: CDOM and DDOM:xinc 0.03 yinc:0.02 xnpole/ynpole:0.0 CDOM:xfirst:6.0 yfirst:47.0 xsize:168.0 ysize:151.0 DDOM:xfirst:2.0 yfirst:43.0 xsize:535.0 ysize:351.0

Forecast data are modelled by a 30-km parallel version of the hydrostatic BOlogna Limited Area Model (BOLAM) operational at the National Agency for Environmental Protection and Technical Services (APAT) at Rome (Italy). This version, referred as 30-km QBOLAM model, is the driving model of the 11-km QBOLAM model which is described in the dphase_qbolam11 experiment. For DPHASE project, forecast data are provided over a subdomain (refered as DDOM) of the original domain (which covers the entire Mediterranean Basin). Not all the meteorological fields selected for the experiment are provided, since some of these are not produced by the QBOLAM model. Initial and boundary conditions for a 60-h QBOLAM33 forecast are derived from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analysis and forecast issued at 1200 UTC on the previous day. Grid description: Please note that the westermost longitude and the southermost latitude points refer to the sub-domain chosen for MAP DPHASE. The QBOLAM original domain covers the Mediterranean Basin. DDOM: xfirst: -10.2 yfirst: 4.2 xsize: 54.0 ysize: 40.0 xinc: 0.3 yinc: 0.3 xnpole: -167.5 ynpole: 51.5