IBM Unit to Build Supercomputer-Based Global Storm-Scale Forecast Model With UCAR, NCAR

An IBM business has teamed up with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the National Center for Atmospheric Research to develop a global model designed to predict hurricanes, thunderstorms and other weather patterns at both regional and local scales.

IBM’s The Weather Company will combine its experience in meteorological science with NCAR’s community model for weather events, OpenPOWER-based supercomputing platforms and IBM Research’s knowledge in high performance computing through the alliance, IBM said Wednesday.

IBM and UCAR will use technology platforms from OpenPOWER and IBM Power Systems to co-design the global storm-scale model that will run on an IBM POWER9-based supercomputer.

The alliance will work to redesign NCAR’s community weather model – Model for Prediction Across Scales – to facilitate its operation on supercomputers and develop global scale “convection-allowing models” for both short-term and long-range weather forecasts.

“This is a major public-private collaboration that aims to advance weather prediction and generate significant benefits for businesses making critical decisions based on weather forecasts,” said Antonio Busalacchi, president of UCAR.

NCAR is a federally funded research and development center managed by UCAR and sponsored by the National Science Foundation.