WEATHER ANALYSIS/FORECASTING RESOURCES
This section is promoted to a list of resources that may prove valuable to you
when you forecast. This comprehensive list includes websites for climatology and past
conditions, current conditions, and prognostics.
I. OVERVIEW
a. Climatology
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov
http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/
http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/
http://www.worldclimate.com/
http://weather.uwyo.edu/
The National Climatic Data Center
Utah State Climate Office
NOAA CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center
World Climate
University of Wyoming Weather
b. Current Conditions
http://mesowest.utah.edu
http://www.meteo.psu.edu/~gadomski/ewall.html
http://www.weather.gov/
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/sfc2.shtml
http://weather.noaa.gov/fax/nwsfax.html
http://weather.uwyo.edu/
http://weather.unisys.com/surface/
http://leonardo.met.tamu.edu/weather_interface/
http://www.goes.noaa.gov/
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/
http://aviationweather.gov
http://www.airquality.utah.gov
http://www.spc.noaa.gov
http://www.nohrsc.nws.gov/interactive/html/map.html
The University of Utah Mesowest
Penn State Electronic Map Wall
National Weather Service
RAP UCAR Weather
NOAA HPC Surface Analyses
NWS Fax Charts
University of Wyoming Weather
Unisys Weather
Texas A&M Weather Interface
NOAA NESDIS GOES Images
Plymouth State University Wx
NWS Aviation Weather Center
Utah Division of Air Quality
NOAA Storm Prediction Center
NOHRSC Snow Data
c. Prognostics
http://weather.utah.edu
http://www.meteo.psu.edu/~gadomski/ewall.html
Utah Weather Center
Penn State Map Wall
http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/synop/products/bullform.all.htm
http://leonardo.met.tamu.edu/weather_interface/
http://ruc.noaa.gov
http://www.spc.noaa.gov
NCEP Model Analysis
MOS Guidance
Texas A&M
RUC
Storm Prediction Center
d. Other Websites of Interest
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/2006071/
http://www.ametsoc.org/
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/canada_e.html
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
MODIS
AMS
Environment Canada
UK Met Office
National Hurricane Center
II. DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS
a. Climatology
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov - The National Climatic Data Center
This is the most comprehensive source for climatic data. Past observations and
climate data are available for surface based observations, upper-air observations,
marine observations, and satellite observations. They also include paleoclimatology as
well as event assessments. The site includes data for stations across the United States
from time periods as short as hours to as long as thousands of years. This is your onestop source for any climate data.
http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/ - Utah State Climate Office
http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/ - NOAA CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center
This website includes reanalysis data, climate publications and El Nino/Southern
Oscillation observations.
http://www.worldclimate.com/ - World Climate
World Climate provides climate for global locations.
http://weather.uwyo.edu/ - University of Wyoming Weather
This website will provide you with an excellent archive of soundings for stations
across the United States.
b. Current Conditions
http://mesowest.utah.edu - The University of Utah Mesowest
A source for current and past surface observations. It allows you to plot standard
variables such as temperature, dewpoint, relative humidity and wind speed and
direction for a very high density of surface stations across the United States in a Google
Earth framework.
http://www.meteo.psu.edu/~gadomski/ewall.html - Penn State s Electronic Map Wall
A source for current observations across the United States, satellite images, and
upper air data.
http://www.weather.gov/ - National Weather Service
This may be the most logical website for current observations, as well as
forecasts and past observations. They include links to other government meteorological
resources. While this is an outstanding site that will meet your needs, it is encouraged
that you become familiar with other websites.
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/ - RAP UCAR ‒ University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research
This website includes a comprehensive mapping of current surface conditions all
across the United States and locations near the borders in Canada and Mexico. The
plotting applet includes a number of features including major roadways, terrain, counties
and rivers. They also provide regional satellite images (infrared and visible) as well as
radar images for cities all across the United States, while also making recent archives of
those available as well. Finally, they have upper air plots as well as sounding for
stations across the United States. This is an excellent resource to view current
conditions for any location across the United States.
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/sfc2.shtml ‒ NOAA Hydrometeorological Center
This website has detailed North American Surface Analyses; with options for
black and white/color, as well as region.
http://weather.noaa.gov/fax/nwsfax.html ‒ NWS Fax Charts
This website contains the current fax versions of products offered by NWS;
includes Weather Depiction Chart, Radar Summary Chart and Significant Weather
Prognostic Charts.
http://weather.uwyo.edu/ - University of Wyoming Weather
The University of Wyoming will be one of your best resources for upper air and
sounding information, and as mentioned before, includes an excellent archive of
soundings for all of the upper-air stations across the United States.
http://weather.unisys.com/surface/ - Unisys Weather
This website includes surface meteograms for select cities across the United
States as well as surface analyses of other basic meteorological variables.
http://leonardo.met.tamu.edu/weather_interface/ - Texas A&M Weather Interface
Raw/decoded METAR, ship and buoy observations, NWS discussions,
AIRMETS, SIGMETS, and profiler data. 2-day archives are available.
http://www.goes.noaa.gov/ - NOAA NESDIS: GOES
Easily accessible satellite images from GOES.
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/ - The Plymouth State University
This department site is unique from the others in that you can make custom plots
of numerous atypical variables.
http://aviationweather.gov - NWS Aviation Weather Center
Convective SIGMETS, outlooks, watches, PIREPS (turbulence and icing),
turbulence and icing SIGMETS, freezing levels, -12, -24, -36, -48 hr prognostic charts,
significant weather charts (low ‒ middle - high levels), METAR, radar and satellite
products. For a good compilation: ./std_brief/
http://www.airquality.utah.gov - Utah Division of Air Quality
Air quality alerts and forecasts by county.
http://www.spc.noaa.gov - NOAA Storm Prediction Center
Convective outlooks, mesoscale discussions, watches/warnings, current and
archive storm reports (wind, hail, tornados), mesoanalysis regions which offers an
outstanding array of surface analyses, analyses of kinematic, thermodynamic and
stability parameters which are useful for fire weather, severe weather and winter
weather. Forecast tools include soundings, short-range ensemble (SREF) and fire
weather composite maps.
http://www.nohrsc.nws.gov/interactive/html/map.html - NOHRSC Snow Information
A website provided by the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing
Center of comprehensive snowfall information including snow depth, snow-liquid
equivalence, snow depth changes, snowfall totals and more.
c. Prognostics
http://weather.utah.edu - University of Utah Weather Center
GFS, NAM 0000, 0600, 1200, 1800 UTC model runs (with synoptic and
convective parameters) for all regions/world with theta (-e) time height cross-sections
for locations in the Intermountain West.
http://www.meteo.psu.edu/~gadomski/ewall.html - Penn State s Electronic Map Wall
This website provides an extensive, easy navigation, source for model runs.
Models include the NAM, GFS, and WRF. Included on the site are the 0000, 0600,
1200, and 1800 UTC model runs. Tropical forecasts are also available for the tropical
East Pacific, West Pacific, Atlantic, Southwest Pacific, and Indian Ocean. Forecasted
soundings are also available for select cities in throughout the United States.
http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/ - NCEP Model Analysis
The National Centers for Environmental Prediction is the department of NOAA
that runs the forecast models. This website will provide you with model output from the
NAM, GFS, WRF, RUC, and SREF. This is also a valuable resource for model data. It
also includes extensive information on the models themselves.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/synop/products/bullform.all.htm - MOS Guidance
This includes a comprehensive list of Model Output Statistics that include
temperature, precipitation, dew point temperature, wind, and cloud forecasts. Stations
in every state, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are included.
http://leonardo.met.tamu.edu/weather_interface/ - Texas A&M Weather Interface
NAM, GFS, RUC, MOS forecasts and grid point interpolations for multiple
pressure levels.
http://ruc.noaa.gov - RUC ‒ NOAA/ESRL/GSD
This website includes extensive information regarding the RUC as well as all of
the plots.
http://www.spc.noaa.gov - NOAA Storm Prediction Center
Convective outlooks, mesoscale discussions, watches/warnings, current and
archive storm reports (wind, hail, tornados), mesoanalysis regions which offers an
outstanding array of surface analyses, analyses of kinematic, thermodynamic and
stability parameters which are useful for fire weather, severe weather and winter
weather. Forecast tools include soundings, short-range ensemble (SREF) and fire
weather composite maps.
d. Other Websites of Interest
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library%5CrgAdvisoryCircular.ns
f/0/A2A0CF844400CCF08625758C005E5D62?OpenDocument
The above link is for the current NWS Aviation Weather Advisory Circular. This
contains all the information you need to use NWS products.
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/2006071/ - MODIS
Website of the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)
satellite images, which are high-resolution satellite products, which include fire and
cloud masking. This websites includes real-time posting of images all across the globe.
http://www.ametsoc.org/ - American Meteorological Society
A useful resource for past and present meteorological journal articles for journals
including the Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, Monthly Weather Review, Journal of
Applied Meteorology and Climatology, Journal of Climate, Weather and Forecasting,
and Journal of Physical Oceanography. They also contain information on conferences
and meetings, have career services, and is a valuable resources for students.
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/canada_e.html - Environment Canada
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk - United Kingdom Meteorological Office
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov - National Hurricane Center