GFS Computer model.
Description: Stands for Global Forecasting System. One of the most renowned global weather models throughout the world. It forecasts out to 384 hours. It makes forecasts for every three hours out to 180 hours ( 7.5 days), and then it makes forecasts for every 12 hours out to 384 hours (16 days). Currently it is longest range operational forecast model in use, followed closely by the ECMWF. According to the HPC, the GFS model normally has a cold bias across the United States east of the Rockies, meaning it will shift storms farther east than where they usually appear. It is best at forecasting during the medium range (72 hours through 180 hours), but not very good when it comes to short range and very short range forecasting.
NCEP Computer Model Guidance
When using this link, after clicking on it, the website should have a bar at the top that gives you options such as "Model Guidance", "Observations and Analysis", and "Tropical Guidance". Click on Model Guidance. Then click on what region you want a forecast for (say North America, which is NAMER) Then choose the model you would like to use.
Unisys Weather GFS model
College of Dupage GFS
GFS Precipitation Type and Accumulation
This website shows the GFS's precipitation type forecast and its prediction on snowfall, sleet, freezing rain, and rainfall accumulations. One problem is is that snowfall is liquid equivalent amounts and not in actual amounts, so you will have to use the general 10/1 snow ratio to figure out accumulations. Remember, during wet snow the snow ratio is 7/1, while during cold, dry snow the snow ratio will be 15/1 or possible 25/1.
GFS Tropical Atlantic Forecasts
GFS model out to 384 hours
NAM Computer Model
Description: Stands for North American Mesoscale. As is obvious by its name, it is a mesoscale model that specializes in making predictions with storm complexes, heavy snow events, flooding events, and other types of severe weather events. It is a short range to medium range model, limited to 84 hours of forecast time. Meteorologists use this model generally when predicting snowfall amounts and rainfall amounts, plus they use it for predicting the tracks of low pressure systems. One of its useful features is its simulated base reflectivity radar, which helps meteorologists determine where the main precipitation during a storm will be.
NCEP NAM forecasts
NAM/WRF Unisys Weather
College of Dupage NAM model
00z/12z NAM Snowfall Forecast
06z/18z NAM Snowfall Forecast
ECMWF Computer Model
Description: ECMWF is a forecast center in Europe, that provides the world with another global model. This model, whose true name is the IFS, Integrated Forecast System, forecasts out to 15 days, and runs twice each day at 00z and 12z. For full runs of the model, visit the ECMWF model website. For limited amounts of the data, see links below. Model also has a long-range run built into it, so that it can make monthly forecasts every week.
Foreign Model Forecast Products (ECMWF, JMA, UKMET, GEM, and others)
Limited ECMWF Forecasts.
Medium Range 00z ECMWF forecasts (thru 168 hrs)
12z ECMWF model forecasts.
12z ECMWF to 240 hrs.
00z ECMWF model to 240 hrs.
San Jose University Department of Meteorology ECMWF
NOGAPS
Description: This is a model developed by the Navy for use in ocean predictions. As far as I know it is not a very reliable model.
00z NOGAPS model
12z NOGAPS Model run
GEM:
Description: Stands for Global Environmental Multi-scale model. This model is one of the three main global models (GFS, ECMWF, and GEM). It was developed by Environment Canada (aka. Canadian National Weather Service), for better model performance and usage. It is used frequently in the meteorology world and is one of the most accurate models out there.
GEM model
Environment Canada 00z and 12z runs GEM
GEM model runs
Environment Canada GEM Ensembles
FIM:
Description: Stands for Finite volume Icosahedral Model This model was developed in 2008 by scientists at AMB and ESRL, along with the NCEP. The model they have developed is the newest global model. Currently, it is being used for experiment, meaning that is not ready for NWS forecasting.
FIM 15 km
FIM 30 km
FIM 60 km
FIMZ 15 km
(note: km stands for kilometer, meaning that the model's grid spacing is that distance. The lower the distance, the higher the resolution of the model.)
DGEX
Description: Not Available at this time.
DGEX 6z model run
DGEX 12z run
DGEX Central and Northeast US
UKMET
Description: Not Available at this time.
UKMET NH 00z run
UKMET NH 12z run
CMC
Description: I do not know much about this model. It is not very well known.
00z CMC model run
12z CMC United States Model Run
RR, HRRR, HIRESW, NMM, and MM5
Description: All five of these are extremely high resolution models, even more so then the RUC. They were each developed by the National Weather Service for forecasting in a twelve hour period. The MM5 was developed by NCAR and is used for forecasting up to 48 hours. These models are very accurate at predicting short term events. Usage is for severe weather and winter weather situations.
NOAA's RR model
Model Guidance NCEP
NOAA's HRRR
NMM and NAM comparisons
MM5 and WRF model
WRF
Description: The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model is a next-generation mesoscale numerical weather prediction system designed to serve both operational forecasting and atmospheric research needs. It features multiple dynamical cores, a 3-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation system, and a software architecture allowing for computational parallelism and system extensibility. WRF is suitable for a broad spectrum of applications across scales ranging from meters to thousands of kilometers.
University of Illinois WRF
WRF Model Homepage
NSSL WRF
RAP: This model was designed for very short range forecasts and rapid updates. Its purpose was to take the position of the old RUC20 model. This model updates once every hour and forecasts out to 18 hours in advance. Because of when the runs of the RAP come out, it is common practice to use the one hour forecast as an analysis, as there is about an hour delay for these runs. It has very little error and is one of the most accurate models out there. Used only for very short range forecasts.
Rapid Refresh model
RAP College of Dupage
PENN State E-wall (Computer models): This site has almost everything you need to forecast the weather. From computer models to satellite images, this site has everything.
All MOS data For Any City: MOS stands for Model Statistical Output. After a model is run (NAM and GFS), the NWS uses this data and inputs into statistical equations to attempt to erase model errors and biases, which can be helpful. MOS data is sometimes more accurate than the models themselves, and sometimes it isn't. When you click on this link, the website will show a large list of all airport weather stations in the country. If you live in Northwest Ohio or Northeast Indiana, scroll down the list for Fort Wayne, Indiana or Defiance, Ohio. Their station ID's are KFWA for Fort Wayne and KDFI for Defiance.
MOS Data for the US
Skew-T:
Description: Skew-T charts are plots of an observing sites temperature profile, wind profile, and dew point profile. These show how temperature, wind, and dew point change with height and are very important tool in weather forecasting. Forecast soundings come from model output that is used as a vertical structure of the atmosphere.
RUC Forecast Soundings NOAA
Forecast Soundings
Storm Machine Forecast Soundings
Meteo Star Forecast Soundings
TwisterData Forecast Soundings
General Model Website:
Weather Underground
Ohio State University Model Page
Twister Data Models
UCAR ETA, GFS, and RUC models
Madison Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Weather Forecaster Models
Tropical Prediction
Official ECMWF website:
ECMWF Home page
To have all-access to the ECMWF model forecasts, you need to sign up for account with them. I do believe you have to pay for this account.
Accuweather Pro:
For this site, you need to create a paid account with Accuweather. This subscription costs $24.95 per month, with a yearly subscription of $249.99. Benefits include Hi-res winter weather radar, short range models such as the NAM, medium and long-range models such as the GFS and ECMWF, including the JMA, GEM, and many other models. Accuweather also includes its own special model, which is made up of tweaked model data from several different models, for forecasts up to three days. The bad thing about this is that prices are pretty expensive. Currently, I do not have an account (even though I wish I do).
CIMSS Model Analysis's:
CIMSS Model Data
Climate Model Forecasts:
These models are generally run by the NCEP or Climate Prediction Center. Many of these computer models forecast out to 6 or 7 months in advance. Be warned, these are not like regular computer models, they display precipitation and temperature anomalies (departure from normal), along with ENSO conditions and the state of other teleconnections.
CFS Seasonal Climate Forecasts
CFSv2 long-range forecasts
NMME Forecasts
This is a link to the National Multi-Model Ensemble forecasts, showing forecasts for many different long-range models.
ENSEMBLES
SREF
Description: This forecast model is a forecast ensemble that was run and developed by the Storm Prediction Center this year, for usage in severe weather event. Stands for Short Range Ensembles Forecast.
PENN state SREF
Storm Prediction Center's SREF
NCEP SREF
MREF
Description: Medium range forecast ensembles. Designed for use with storm systems and weather events in the 3-7 day period.
PENN state MREF runs
GEFS:
Description: This is the GFS forecast ensembles. These are run with each member of the GFS ensemble, helping to gauge forecast confidence.
NCEP GEFS Spaghetti Diag., Means, and Spreads
GEFS American Weather
NAEFS
Description: This is the North American Ensemble Forecast System. It was developed so that weather could be forecasted over all of North America.
NAEFS Home page
NCEP NAEFS Bias Correction
ECMWF ensembles
Description: IFS's ensemble forecasts released by the ECMWF forecast center in Europe.
ECMWF ensembles
Description: Stands for Global Forecasting System. One of the most renowned global weather models throughout the world. It forecasts out to 384 hours. It makes forecasts for every three hours out to 180 hours ( 7.5 days), and then it makes forecasts for every 12 hours out to 384 hours (16 days). Currently it is longest range operational forecast model in use, followed closely by the ECMWF. According to the HPC, the GFS model normally has a cold bias across the United States east of the Rockies, meaning it will shift storms farther east than where they usually appear. It is best at forecasting during the medium range (72 hours through 180 hours), but not very good when it comes to short range and very short range forecasting.
NCEP Computer Model Guidance
Unisys Weather GFS model
College of Dupage GFS
GFS Precipitation Type and Accumulation
This website shows the GFS's precipitation type forecast and its prediction on snowfall, sleet, freezing rain, and rainfall accumulations. One problem is is that snowfall is liquid equivalent amounts and not in actual amounts, so you will have to use the general 10/1 snow ratio to figure out accumulations. Remember, during wet snow the snow ratio is 7/1, while during cold, dry snow the snow ratio will be 15/1 or possible 25/1.
GFS Tropical Atlantic Forecasts
GFS model out to 384 hours
NAM Computer Model
NCEP NAM forecasts
NAM/WRF Unisys Weather
College of Dupage NAM model
00z/12z NAM Snowfall Forecast
06z/18z NAM Snowfall Forecast
ECMWF Computer Model
Description: ECMWF is a forecast center in Europe, that provides the world with another global model. This model, whose true name is the IFS, Integrated Forecast System, forecasts out to 15 days, and runs twice each day at 00z and 12z. For full runs of the model, visit the ECMWF model website. For limited amounts of the data, see links below. Model also has a long-range run built into it, so that it can make monthly forecasts every week.
Foreign Model Forecast Products (ECMWF, JMA, UKMET, GEM, and others)
Limited ECMWF Forecasts.
Medium Range 00z ECMWF forecasts (thru 168 hrs)
12z ECMWF model forecasts.
12z ECMWF to 240 hrs.
00z ECMWF model to 240 hrs.
San Jose University Department of Meteorology ECMWF
NOGAPS
Description: This is a model developed by the Navy for use in ocean predictions. As far as I know it is not a very reliable model.
00z NOGAPS model
12z NOGAPS Model run
GEM:
Description: Stands for Global Environmental Multi-scale model. This model is one of the three main global models (GFS, ECMWF, and GEM). It was developed by Environment Canada (aka. Canadian National Weather Service), for better model performance and usage. It is used frequently in the meteorology world and is one of the most accurate models out there.
GEM model
Environment Canada 00z and 12z runs GEM
GEM model runs
Environment Canada GEM Ensembles
FIM:
Description: Stands for Finite volume Icosahedral Model This model was developed in 2008 by scientists at AMB and ESRL, along with the NCEP. The model they have developed is the newest global model. Currently, it is being used for experiment, meaning that is not ready for NWS forecasting.
FIM 15 km
FIM 30 km
FIM 60 km
FIMZ 15 km
(note: km stands for kilometer, meaning that the model's grid spacing is that distance. The lower the distance, the higher the resolution of the model.)
DGEX
Description: Not Available at this time.
DGEX 6z model run
DGEX 12z run
DGEX Central and Northeast US
UKMET
Description: Not Available at this time.
UKMET NH 00z run
UKMET NH 12z run
CMC
Description: I do not know much about this model. It is not very well known.
00z CMC model run
12z CMC United States Model Run
RR, HRRR, HIRESW, NMM, and MM5
Description: All five of these are extremely high resolution models, even more so then the RUC. They were each developed by the National Weather Service for forecasting in a twelve hour period. The MM5 was developed by NCAR and is used for forecasting up to 48 hours. These models are very accurate at predicting short term events. Usage is for severe weather and winter weather situations.
NOAA's RR model
Model Guidance NCEP
NOAA's HRRR
NMM and NAM comparisons
MM5 and WRF model
WRF
Description: The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model is a next-generation mesoscale numerical weather prediction system designed to serve both operational forecasting and atmospheric research needs. It features multiple dynamical cores, a 3-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation system, and a software architecture allowing for computational parallelism and system extensibility. WRF is suitable for a broad spectrum of applications across scales ranging from meters to thousands of kilometers.
University of Illinois WRF
WRF Model Homepage
NSSL WRF
RAP: This model was designed for very short range forecasts and rapid updates. Its purpose was to take the position of the old RUC20 model. This model updates once every hour and forecasts out to 18 hours in advance. Because of when the runs of the RAP come out, it is common practice to use the one hour forecast as an analysis, as there is about an hour delay for these runs. It has very little error and is one of the most accurate models out there. Used only for very short range forecasts.
Rapid Refresh model
RAP College of Dupage
PENN State E-wall (Computer models): This site has almost everything you need to forecast the weather. From computer models to satellite images, this site has everything.
All MOS data For Any City: MOS stands for Model Statistical Output. After a model is run (NAM and GFS), the NWS uses this data and inputs into statistical equations to attempt to erase model errors and biases, which can be helpful. MOS data is sometimes more accurate than the models themselves, and sometimes it isn't. When you click on this link, the website will show a large list of all airport weather stations in the country. If you live in Northwest Ohio or Northeast Indiana, scroll down the list for Fort Wayne, Indiana or Defiance, Ohio. Their station ID's are KFWA for Fort Wayne and KDFI for Defiance.
MOS Data for the US
Skew-T:
Description: Skew-T charts are plots of an observing sites temperature profile, wind profile, and dew point profile. These show how temperature, wind, and dew point change with height and are very important tool in weather forecasting. Forecast soundings come from model output that is used as a vertical structure of the atmosphere.
RUC Forecast Soundings NOAA
Forecast Soundings
Storm Machine Forecast Soundings
Meteo Star Forecast Soundings
TwisterData Forecast Soundings
General Model Website:
Weather Underground
Ohio State University Model Page
Twister Data Models
UCAR ETA, GFS, and RUC models
Madison Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Weather Forecaster Models
Tropical Prediction
Official ECMWF website:
ECMWF Home page
To have all-access to the ECMWF model forecasts, you need to sign up for account with them. I do believe you have to pay for this account.
Accuweather Pro:
For this site, you need to create a paid account with Accuweather. This subscription costs $24.95 per month, with a yearly subscription of $249.99. Benefits include Hi-res winter weather radar, short range models such as the NAM, medium and long-range models such as the GFS and ECMWF, including the JMA, GEM, and many other models. Accuweather also includes its own special model, which is made up of tweaked model data from several different models, for forecasts up to three days. The bad thing about this is that prices are pretty expensive. Currently, I do not have an account (even though I wish I do).
CIMSS Model Analysis's:
CIMSS Model Data
Climate Model Forecasts:
These models are generally run by the NCEP or Climate Prediction Center. Many of these computer models forecast out to 6 or 7 months in advance. Be warned, these are not like regular computer models, they display precipitation and temperature anomalies (departure from normal), along with ENSO conditions and the state of other teleconnections.
CFS Seasonal Climate Forecasts
CFSv2 long-range forecasts
NMME Forecasts
This is a link to the National Multi-Model Ensemble forecasts, showing forecasts for many different long-range models.
ENSEMBLES
SREF
Description: This forecast model is a forecast ensemble that was run and developed by the Storm Prediction Center this year, for usage in severe weather event. Stands for Short Range Ensembles Forecast.
PENN state SREF
Storm Prediction Center's SREF
NCEP SREF
MREF
Description: Medium range forecast ensembles. Designed for use with storm systems and weather events in the 3-7 day period.
PENN state MREF runs
GEFS:
Description: This is the GFS forecast ensembles. These are run with each member of the GFS ensemble, helping to gauge forecast confidence.
NCEP GEFS Spaghetti Diag., Means, and Spreads
GEFS American Weather
NAEFS
Description: This is the North American Ensemble Forecast System. It was developed so that weather could be forecasted over all of North America.
NAEFS Home page
NCEP NAEFS Bias Correction
ECMWF ensembles
Description: IFS's ensemble forecasts released by the ECMWF forecast center in Europe.
ECMWF ensembles
