Additional Model Data
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National Hurricane Center Model Data (Displayed by Tropical Atlantic)
NOAA - National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)
Global Forecast System (GFS)
European Model (ECMWF/IFS)
Canadian Model (CMC/GEM)
NOAA - National Digital Forecast Database Graphical Forecasts
More Model Data
About Models
National Hurricane Center Model Data (Displayed by Tropical Atlantic)
Tropical Cyclone Model & Best Track Archive at Tropical Atlantic
Our model site displays National Hurricane Center (NHC) model data in Google Maps and Google Earth for active storms and areas of investigation. (Areas of investigation are designated as invests with numbers from 90 to 99.) You can also view model wind and pressure data, when available, in Adobe Flash diagrams. All best track and model data is archived so you can view historic data as well. Other features of our model system include NHC model error, an ATCF center fix system containing center fixes by satellite and other sources and model data for the East and Central Pacific basins. For active Atlantic storms, links to each storm's data will appear at the top of most of the pages on our site.
If you have the free program
Google Earth, you can access all model data in the Atlantic Basin by saving the Google Earth file below:
This file will allow you to view the latest model data when it is available for active storms and areas of investigation. NHC best track and model data come from the
Automated Tropical Cyclone Forecasting (ATCF) system. Raw ATCF data is downloaded
here from the NHC's FTP server and is processed by our site to be displayed visually when new data is available.
For a nice background to display Google Earth data on, click
here for a world image from NASA that we have customized for the Atlantic.
For information about other basins, visit
Tropical Globe.
National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)
Model Analysis and Guidance
On December 26, 2012, their website experienced a major hardware failure. This site has excellent Global Forecast System (GFS) model imagery. Prior to the hardware failure they also had excellent GFDL and HWRF imagery. Check back on the site to see when it is upgraded. Other model data includes: North America Mesoscale Model (NAM) and NAM-HIRES, Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS),
North American Ensemble Forecast System (NAEFS), Short Range Ensemble Forecast Model (SREF), Rapid Refresh Model (RAP), High Resolution Window (HRW) and Wave Watch III Model (WW3). Also includes Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA), Upper Air Plots and Skew-T Plots.
NCEP/EMC Cyclogenesis Tracking Page
This site displays models' projected path of low pressure areas all in one image. Once on the site, click the latest time in the left frame. From that you'll see a page full of different regions and models. If you are looking for a storm that doesn't happen to be near North America, such as in the Caribbean or across the Atlantic basin, scroll down the page and there is a table for the Atlantic basin. There are a variety of models to choose from, such as a multiple model, GFS, NCEP Ensemble, NAM, SREF Ensemble, UKMET (UK Meteorological), NOGAPS (Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System), FNMOC (Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center) Ensemble, CMC (Canadian Meteorological Centre) and CMC Ensemble.The images show the path of a low with a line and also display the forecast pressure, which is quite helpful. You can view the text files if you cannot read the pressure on the images.
Visit the
Environmental Modeling Center at
NCEP for more information and modeling. You can also visit the
Climate Prediction Center (CPC) for other information on temperature and precipitation outlooks along with
U.S. Drought Information. Two important areas of the CPC include the
El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO, also known as El Niño / La Niña -
About on Wikipedia) and the
Madden - Julian Oscillation (MJO -
About on Wikipedia)
Global Forecast System (GFS) - Global Model - Every 12 Hours
Global Forecast System - Home page at NCEP
Model data for the GFS is available on the Model Analysis and Guidance page from NCEP as previously described on this page. About the GFS.
Weather Underground WunderMap - GFS Model Data
Scroll down in the right column of the page to "Model Data". You can select from a large variety of map types, select which model run you want to view (especially if the default run that loads is incomplete), which forecast hour you want to view (which also allows you to animate the entire run) and also select an opacity if you want to be able to view other features on the map. You can also zoom in and out and also pan the map. The WunderMap also has other model data available such as the ECMWF, NAM and Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) along with a massive amount of other weather features.
European Model (ECMWF/IFS) - Global Model - Every 12 Hours
Canadian Model (CMC/GEM) - Global Model - Every 12 Hours
National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) Graphical Forecasts
http://preview.weather.gov/graphical/ (Proposed replacement of
this page)
The National Hurricane Center has now incorporated their NHC/TAFB Experimental Gridded Marine Forecasts into the proposed replacement of the National Weather Service Graphical Forecast Page. Select "Oceanic" as the geographic region and next to it select the forecast element you want to view. You can use the slider to view a different time period. You can learn more about how to use the interface here. You can view more information here on the NHC's site about the addition.
More Model Data
CMC, GFDL, GFS, HWRF, MM5, NOGAPS
http://moe.met.fsu.edu/tcgengifs/
This site runs somewhat behind the other model sites, though it is nice to look at their imagery over other sites that have the information.
Cyclone phase evolution: Analyses & Forecasts
http://moe.met.fsu.edu/cyclonephase/
This goes more in depth on the path. It shows you the line where the center is expected to travel along with some pressure and other data expected at the core. It does not update as fast as previously mentioned sites, but the phase diagrams are very valuable resources to look at to learn more about the core of potential and current storms.
Experimental FIM Model from NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory:
http://fim.noaa.gov/
The Flow-following finite-volume Icosahedral Model (FIM) is a global atmospheric forecast model (numerical weather prediction).
Tropical Cyclone model page from PSU
http://tc.met.psu.edu/
GFS, NOGAPS, GFDL, HWRF, WRF, ECMWF
Weather Underground:
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/
On that big page, under "North Atlantic Storm Advisories," you will see the latest storms. Click "Computer Models." This site includes the SHIPS intensity model data on the model imagery.
NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory (ARL):
Forecast Model Animations - NAM, RUC, GFS, GFS Long-Range
MM5 (Fifth-Generation NCAR / Penn State Mesoscale Model,
about) Tropical Cyclone Prediction:
http://moe.met.fsu.edu/mm5/
From the NAVY's
Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center:
GFS
NOGAPS
Note: You can safely ignore the security warning if one pops up.
Models at Unisys
http://weather.unisys.com/forehome.php
NAM/WRF, GFS, ECMWF, RUC
Ohio State University's model page:
Numerical Model Output
GFS, MRF(Medium Range Forecast Model), NAM, RUC, WRF
Weather Underground Models
Weather Underground has a nice display of the GFS and NAM models with a variety of different options that you can choose. They also have the latest GFDL run with several different maps to select from. Also be sure to check out their
WunderMap, which in addition to having some of the coolest features, also has some model data. Under "Map Controls", click the "Model Data" for options. Also under "Map Controls" is the "Hurricane" option which has an option to display some of the computer models run for specific storms.
e-WALL: Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Electronic Map Wall
Lots and lots of models and other tropical information, including satellite imagery. This site is really great. Try not to get overwhelmed by all the information.
Jump right to:
Tropical Atlantic e-WALL
Notice in the left column the satellite views, including floaters, available.
Text model data from the NHC
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/pub/products/nhc/model/ - (Warning, it's a long page that takes a lot of time to load)
This is where you can find some text model data for some of the NHC models. (BAMS, BAMD, BAMM, LBAR, SHIP and DSHP) It also contains some additional data about the storm's initialization. Some of the files contain that while others contain text data for the GFDL model. Each type of model file comes out about every 6 hours, when available. Keep in mind that the times are in UTC time. Also note that the SHIPS intensity model is in knots. (multiply by 1.15 to get mph) You can open the files in a text editor. Sometimes it opens wrong. Try a different text editor then to open it. (Sometimes a file works in Notepad and not in Wordpad, and sometimes the other way around. But usually it always seems to open right in one of them.)
ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/atcf/stext/ - (Warning, it's a long page that takes a lot of time to load) This folder contains a very detailed SHIPS output.
ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/atcf/aid_public/ - The compressed files in this folder contain the raw text data that Tropical Atlantic processes to present on our site. The easiest way to view this data is the processed output that we or another site generates.
Tropical Cyclone Guidance Project (TCGP) at National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
This site has NHC model data plotted on images. This site has the model system that the Colorado state model site had.
Methaz.org Model Data (from the Kinetic Analysis Corporation and UCF)
This site has NHC model data available and at times has other features.
South Florida Water Management District Model Data (SFWMD)
This site also has select NHC model data plotted on images that are usually available quickly after the model data is released by the NHC. Ignore any storm that is not from 1 to 49 (depression or higher) or 90 to 99 (invest areas).
About Models
