diff --git a/.ci/azure-pipelines/matrix.yml b/.ci/azure-pipelines/matrix.yml
index 91c57e6e3c..8af851e0f5 100644
--- a/.ci/azure-pipelines/matrix.yml
+++ b/.ci/azure-pipelines/matrix.yml
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ parameters:
     CC: gcc-8
     FC: gfortran-8
   macOS:
-    CC: gcc-8
-    FC: gfortran-8
+    CC: gcc-9
+    FC: gfortran-9
   Windows:
     CC: gcc
     FC: gfortran
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ parameters:
     NESTING: basic
     GRIB1: 0
     GRIB2: 1
+
+  RELEASE: false
   
   # Loop/matrix parameters.
   # Note that these may be overridden by the including yml (typically azure-pipelines.yml).
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ jobs:
         - ${{ if not(and(eq(OS_NAME, 'Windows'), eq(BUILD_SYSTEM, 'Make'))) }}:
           - template: ${{ parameters.templates[OS_NAME] }}
             parameters:
+              RELEASE: ${{ parameters.RELEASE }}
               OS_NAME: ${{ OS_NAME }}
               BUILD_SYSTEM: ${{ BUILD_SYSTEM }}
               BUILD_TYPE: ${{ BUILD_TYPE }}
diff --git a/.ci/azure-pipelines/release.yml b/.ci/azure-pipelines/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a51ae6fee0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/azure-pipelines/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+steps:
+- ${{ if eq(parameters.OS_NAME, 'Windows') }}:
+  - task: ArchiveFiles@2
+    inputs:
+      rootFolderOrFile: build/install
+      includeRootFolder: false
+      archiveType: zip
+      archiveFile: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/$(Build.SourceBranchName)-$(NESTING)_nesting-$(MODE)-x64-$(OS_NAME)-$(BUILD_TYPE).zip' 
+    displayName: Create distribution package
+
+- ${{ if not(eq(parameters.OS_NAME, 'Windows')) }}:
+  - bash: bash .ci/unix/delocate.sh
+    displayName: Delocate
+
+  - task: ArchiveFiles@2
+    inputs:
+      rootFolderOrFile: build/install
+      includeRootFolder: false
+      archiveType: tar
+      tarCompression: xz
+      archiveFile: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/$(Build.SourceBranchName)-$(NESTING)_nesting-$(MODE)-x64-$(OS_NAME)-$(BUILD_TYPE).tar.xz' 
+    displayName: Create distribution package
+
+- pwsh: |
+    dir $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory) -r | % { if ($_.Name -cne $_.Name.ToLower()) { ren $_.FullName $_.Name.ToLower() } }
+  displayName: Rename to lowercase
+
+# not strictly needed
+- task: PublishBuildArtifacts@1
+  displayName: Store distribution package
+  inputs:
+    pathtoPublish: $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)
+    artifactName: dist_$(OS_NAME)_$(BUILD_SYSTEM)_$(BUILD_TYPE)_$(MODE)
+
+- task: GithubRelease@0 
+  displayName: Create GitHub Draft Release
+  inputs:
+    gitHubConnection: WRF-CMake-releases
+    repositoryName: WRF-CMake/WRF
+    action: edit # will create if not existing
+    tag: $(Build.SourceBranchName)
+    isDraft: true
+    isPreRelease: true
+    addChangeLog: false
+    assetUploadMode: replace
+    assets: |
+      $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/*
diff --git a/.ci/azure-pipelines/unix.yml b/.ci/azure-pipelines/unix.yml
index 3021f99833..cc3d8882d0 100644
--- a/.ci/azure-pipelines/unix.yml
+++ b/.ci/azure-pipelines/unix.yml
@@ -31,3 +31,8 @@ jobs:
 
   - ${{ if eq(parameters.WATS_RUN, 'true') }}:
     - template: wats_run.yml
+
+  - ${{ if eq(parameters.RELEASE, 'true') }}:
+    - template: release.yml
+      parameters:
+        ${{ insert }}: ${{ parameters }}
diff --git a/.ci/azure-pipelines/windows.yml b/.ci/azure-pipelines/windows.yml
index b5e42feb22..e8f620449a 100644
--- a/.ci/azure-pipelines/windows.yml
+++ b/.ci/azure-pipelines/windows.yml
@@ -46,3 +46,8 @@ jobs:
 
   - ${{ if eq(parameters.WATS_RUN, 'true') }}:
     - template: wats_run.yml
+
+  - ${{ if eq(parameters.RELEASE, 'true') }}:
+    - template: release.yml
+      parameters:
+        ${{ insert }}: ${{ parameters }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.ci/unix/Brewfile b/.ci/unix/Brewfile
index 1b3ca7bb02..d5c21ded8c 100644
--- a/.ci/unix/Brewfile
+++ b/.ci/unix/Brewfile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 brew "coreutils"
-brew "gcc@8"
+brew "gcc"
 brew "netcdf"
 brew "jasper"
 brew "libpng"
diff --git a/.ci/unix/delocate.sh b/.ci/unix/delocate.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..181d3e34ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/unix/delocate.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Copyright 2018 M. Riechert and D. Meyer. Licensed under the MIT License.
+
+set -ex
+
+SCRIPTDIR=$(dirname "$0")
+cd $SCRIPTDIR/../..
+
+if [ "$(uname)" == "Darwin" ]; then
+
+    pip3 install delocate
+    delocate-listdeps --all --depending build/install/main
+    delocate-path build/install/main
+    delocate-listdeps --all --depending build/install/main
+
+else
+    echo "Unknown OS: $(uname)"
+    exit 1
+fi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index dde37c3e5b..e840675011 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ jobs:
       env:
         - BUILD_SYSTEM=Make
         - BUILD_TYPE=Debug
-        - CC=gcc-8 # GNU via Homebrew
-        - FC=gfortran-8
+        - CC=gcc-9 # GNU via Homebrew
+        - FC=gfortran-9
         - MODE=serial
 
     - stage: build
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ jobs:
       env:
         - BUILD_SYSTEM=Make
         - BUILD_TYPE=Debug
-        - CC=gcc-8 # GNU via Homebrew
-        - FC=gfortran-8
+        - CC=gcc-9 # GNU via Homebrew
+        - FC=gfortran-9
         - MODE=dmpar
 
     # CMake builds
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ jobs:
       env:
         - BUILD_SYSTEM=CMake
         - BUILD_TYPE=Debug
-        - CC=gcc-8 # GNU via Homebrew
-        - FC=gfortran-8
+        - CC=gcc-9 # GNU via Homebrew
+        - FC=gfortran-9
         - GRIB1=1
         - GRIB2=1
         - MODE=serial
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ jobs:
         - BUILD_SYSTEM=CMake
         - BUILD_TYPE=Debug
         - CC=clang # Apple Clang
-        - FC=gfortran-8
+        - FC=gfortran-9
         - GRIB1=1
         - GRIB2=1
         - MODE=dmpar
diff --git a/azure-pipelines-release.yml b/azure-pipelines-release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..955ec1951f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/azure-pipelines-release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# First, create a tag for the new version.
+# Then, run this pipeline on the tag to store binaries in a draft GitHub release.
+
+# Note that these values are also overridden to "none" in Azure DevOps's UI to
+# prevent others to run this pipeline by changing the triggers below and opening a PR.
+# It still wouldn't cause harm as secrets (GitHub credentials) are not available to PRs from forks.
+trigger: none
+pr: none
+
+jobs:
+- template: .ci/azure-pipelines/matrix.yml
+  parameters:
+    OS_NAMES: [Windows, macOS] # TODO Linux
+    BUILD_SYSTEMS: [CMake]
+    BUILD_TYPES: [Debug, Release]
+    MODES: [serial, dmpar]
+    WATS_DIFF: false
+    WATS_PLOTS: false
+    RELEASE: true