Abstract
Abstract Using the NCEP–DOE reanalysis (R-2) soil wetness and the NCEP Seasonal Forecast System, seasonal predictability of the soil moisture and near-surface temperature, and the role of land surface initial conditions are examined. Two sets of forecasts were made, one starting from climatological soil moisture as initial condition and the other from R-2 soil moisture analysis. Each set consisted of 10-member ensemble runs of 7-month duration. Initial conditions were taken from the first 5 days of April, 12 h apart, for the 1979–96 period. The predictive skill of soil moisture was found to be high over arid/semiarid regions. The model prediction surpassed the persisted anomaly forecast, and the soil moisture initial condition was essential for skillful predictions over these areas. Over temperate zones with more precipitation, and over tropical monsoon regions, the predictive skill of the soil moisture declined steeply in the first 3–4 months. This is due to the difficulties in predicting precipitation a...
Published Version
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