Technical note: Large-eddy simulation of cloudy boundary layer with the Advanced Research WRF model

A thorough evaluation of the large-eddy simulation (LES) mode of the Advanced Research WRF model is performed with use of three cloudy boundary layer cases developed as LES intercomparison cases by the GEWEX Cloud System Study. Our evaluation reveals two problems that must be recognized and carefully addressed before proceeding with production runs. These are (i) sensitivity of results to the prescribed number of acoustic time steps per physical time step; and (ii) the assumption of saturation adjustment in the initial cloudy state. A temporary, but effective method of how to cope with these issues is suggested. With the proper treatment, the simulation results are comparable to the ensemble mean of the other LES models, and sometimes closer to the observational estimate than the ensemble mean. In order to ease the burden for configuration and post-processing, two new packages are developed and implemented. A detailed description of each package is presented. These packages are freely available to the public.