WRF

WRF - Weather Research and Forecasting Model is a state of the art mesoscale numerical weather prediction system designed for both atmospheric research and operational forecasting applications.

At NSC, WRF is not made available as pre-built software through the module system. Instead, we document how users can compile their own model version/configuration after downloading the source code from official WRF repository.

Getting the source code

Beginning with V4.0 of the WRF/WRFDA/WRF-Chem/WPS code, all release downloads and corresponding information will be available from the public WRF-Model Release page on GitHub.

To download e.g. WRF v4.5.1 on Tetralith:

$ git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF
$ cd WRF
$ git checkout v4.5.1

Compiling WRF

On Tetralith (as of Jan 2025) we recommend the buildenv-intel/2023a-eb toolchain for compiling WRF. e.g.

$ module load buildenv-intel/2032-eb
$ module load netCDF-HDF5/4.9.2-1.12.2-hpc1
$ export NETCDF=$NETCDF_DIR
$ export CC=mpiicc
$ export CXX=mpiicpc
$ export FC=mpiifort
$ export F77=mpiifort
$ ./configure # Compiler choice: 16, Nesting option 1

This creates the config file configure.wrfwhich needs to be edited: lines 169 to 171 should read:

DM_FC           =       mpiifort -f90=$(SFC)
DM_CC           =       mpiicc -cc=$(SCC)
FC              =       $(DM_FC)

Once the configure.wrf file is fixed the compilation can be executed, e.g.

$ ./compile em_real >& compile.log

External WRF links

First time WRF user tutorial

WRF Model Users page

WRF and MPAS Support Forum