WRF v3.9.1: d02 has mostly zero SFX output while d01 and d03 are normal

[aurorrmok]

I’m encountering a strange issue with WRF v3.9.1 and would appreciate any insights.
I’m running WRF with ERA5 initial/boundary conditions, using three nested domains (d01–d03).

• d03 is a vortex-following moving nest
• The simulation completes successfully without crashes

However, when analyzing the SFX variable in wrfout files, I find that:

• d01 and d03 have complete, continuous SFX output
• d02 only has nonzero SFX values at a few time steps, while most times are exactly zero

Other surface variables (e.g., U10/V10, LH, TSK) appear normal, so this doesn’t seem to be a general surface physics failure.
Has anyone seen domain-dependent zero SFX output before, especially in simulations with a vortex-following nest?
Any suggestions on where to look (namelist, physics, I/O, or known WRF quirks) would be greatly appreciated.

 

[kwerner]

Hi, Because WRF v3.9.1 is now nearly 10 years old and there have been numerous code changes since, can you try this with the latest version of WRF (v4.7.1) to see if you still see the same issue?