“…Briefly, for the three data sets, the 1° NOGAPS data valid for the forecast periods of 0,12, and 24 h are spatially interpolated for the outside square areas of 800 x 800 km (see figures 1,2, and 3). For initializations (1) and (2), the interpolated data from NOGAPS for the period of 0 h are composited with upper-air sounding data. For initialization (1), surface data of wind vector components, temperature, and mixing ratio at the 0-h period are assimilated into the model field by a nudging method.…”