TheStormExpert wrote:gatorcane wrote:So we have the GFS and ECMWF ensembles starting to zero in on Florida, getting even more interesting!
Never really understood these ensembles, what is their purpose and meaning?
The ensembles are a very useful tool. Each "member" is initialized with slightly different conditions, in effect to mimic possible error or uncertainties in our observations. Thus, in theory, the total ensemble spread represents the range of possible outcomes with slightly different initial conditions. Thus, rather than using one deterministic run with one set of initial conditions that can be prone to error, the ensembles give us a better feel of all the possible outcomes.
Note: I am not expert in modeling, but this is what I have gathered over the years.