Machine Learning Enhancement of Storm-Scale Ensemble Probabilistic Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts

Probabilistic quantitative precipitation forecasts challenge meteorologists due to the wide variability of precipitation amounts over small areas and their dependence on conditions at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Ensembles of convection-allowing numerical weather prediction models offer a way to produce improved precipitation forecasts and estimates of the forecast uncertainty. These models allow for the prediction of individual convective storms on the model grid, but they often displace the storms in space, time, and intensity, which results in added uncertainty. Machine learning methods can produce calibrated probabilistic forecasts from the raw ensemble data that correct for systemic biases in the ensemble precipitation forecast and incorporate additional uncertainty information from aggregations of the ensemble members and additional model variables. This study utilizes the 2010 Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms Storm-Scale Ensemble Forecast system and the National Severe Storms Laboratory National Mosaic & Multi-Sensor Quantitative Precipitation Estimate as input data for training logistic regressions and random forests to produce a calibrated probabilistic quantitative precipitation forecast. The reliability and discrimination of the forecasts are compared through verification statistics and a case study.