Operator: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)
ICON EU is the European regional model of the DWD with a horizontal resolution of approx. 6.5 km and 60 vertical levels. It provides forecasts up to 120 hours (5 days) and is updated four times daily.
ICON D2 is the high-resolution local model for Central Europe with 2.2 km resolution – fine enough to explicitly resolve convective processes (thunderstorms, showers). The forecast range is 48 hours.
Strengths in the Alpine Region
- Higher weight () due to superior Alpine topography
- Both models provide upper-level wind (850/700 hPa) for summit wind calculation
- Only models besides GFS with explicit freezing level
- ICON D2 captures local convergence lines and valley wind systems at 2.2 km resolution