Upgrade of NOS Lake Superior Operational Forecast System to FVCOM: model development and hindcast skill assessment

This report documents the development and testing of the upgraded forecast modeling system for Lake Superior (LSOFS) using FVCOM as well as the results of a skill assessment of hindcasts for water level, water currents, and surface and subsurface water temperature during 2017 and 2018. The skill assessment of the semi-operational nowcasts and forecast guidance running on WCOSS will be conducted by CO-OPS and its results will be published in a separate technical report. A brief overview of the physical limnology of Lake Superior is given first.