Overview

Today's Forecast and Satellite Data, Google Maps Format	48 hour Forecast (updated every 6 hours) and satellite data

The current atmospheric prediction system operational under the Joint Center for Ocean Observing Technology is the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (ARW-WRF) model. We produce 48 h forecasts every 6 hours on a dedicated supercomputer located at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and provide the real-time data to the NWS Gray and Caribou offices in Maine, as well as to internal users at UNH.

Data assimilation via WRF 3d-VAR is carried out prior to model integration using, in part, data from the Global Systems Division of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory's Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System (MADIS) feed and ocean surface winds from NASA's QSCAT scatterometer via NESDIS' Central Environmental Satellite Computer Center (CEMSCS). The data platforms available through MADIS include surface METAR/SYNOP reports, upper air radiosondes, local mesonets and proprietary aircraft reports. MADIS also provides ship reports and marine observations available from the CMAN, NDBC, NOS and GoMOOS buoy networks.

The WRF is run in a triply-nested two-way interactive domain configuration that focuses on New England (domain 2) and the Gulf of Maine (domain 3). The outermost domain covers the eastern half of the US and extends into Canada, the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The grid spacing for the inner three domains is 27, 9 and 3 km.

Data in GRIB and BUFKIT format are transmitted to the Maine NWS offices in real-time and displayed in AWIPS. The NWS forecast grids can also be populated with data from domain 2. Use of the data is documented in the offices' Area Forecast Discussions.

A data archive of the WRF analysis files for 2007 forward are available for each forecast domain (27, 9, and 3 km) in GRIB format via a THREDDS server as part of Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership activities. The latest available forecast files are also available via THREDDS.

Previous Forecast (typically 6 hours prior to the latest run)