Forecast Products Follow
The TempestOne Ops Console provides many ways to view weather model data, and even sea surface current and tide forecasts.
Sea Surface Currents Forecasts
Forecast Maps
With Forecast Maps, you can view predicted weather conditions from numerical models on a map. Tap or click on the forecast map to generate a point forecast for that location. Change computer models for a different take on the forecast in the customized menus. Different models may produce varying forecast solutions - see Forecast Model Options for more information on available weather models. We also offer a tool called Forecast FlowViz, that overlays current observations on the most recent numerical models and depicts wind as animated streamlines. For more information on that, head to the section on Forecast FlowViz below.
Viewing Forecast Maps
1. To access the forecast maps, use the menu on the left-hand side to view Regional Products.
2. Select the Forecast Maps option.
Alternatively, you can simply click to expand the Customize menu and select the Forecast tab and choose your weather parameter.
3. The local WF-WRF model will load by default displaying the latest forecast run with whichever parameter you chose.
4. Use the legend at the bottom to read the map (how fast the winds will be, what the mean sea-level pressure will be, etc).
5. Use the clickable bar at the top of the map to view the forecast for future hours.
6. To view another forecast model, click Customize.
7. Select the forecast model parameter you'd like to display.
8. Use the drop-down menu under Forecast Model to select a model.
9. The model name will be displayed in the lower right corner.
Viewing Forecast FlowViz
On our Forecast FlowViz page, we combine our Forecast Map with our Wind Observations Map, and we depict wind as streamlines, showing you the full structure and giving you a clear visual understanding of the wind. Viewing these features on one page gives the user the keenest possible insight into the current wind conditions. The current forecast wind flow and the critically important real-time weather data provided by the weather stations in map format. This is especially useful when viewing high-resolution models like WeatherFlow's own regional WRF.
You can find FlowViz in the Regional Products list.
WF-WRF NOTE: Our own WF-WRF Forecast model has distinct boundaries, which you can see when looking at our Live Wind feature. The WF-WRF model is our own in-house forecast model, which our own brainiacs have created. Forecast models are VERY expensive to run! As such, we have created grids for key regions across North America: the Forecast models run within those specific grid boundaries.
Disclaimer: Our FlowViz Map is an artistic representation of forecast wind speeds, based on forecast models. The animated FlowViz Map itself does not represent real, actual wind speed values. The weather station data points, which are plotted onto our presentation, are actual wind readings from weather stations.
Forecast Tables
When viewing a station's detailed wind graph, you can access hourly numerical model forecasts for that site by selecting the Forecast tab.
Also highlighted here are the forecast models you can view. For more information on the various models, head here: Forecast Model Options.
Further to the right, you can select whether you wish to view the basic wind, temperature, and sky condition forecast (basic) or add other variables, including wave height, precipitation, pressure, and cloud cover percentage (detailed). You can also choose whether to view a daily forecast or a 7-day extended forecast.
You can click and drag the box in the preview graph at the bottom of the forecast table to see detailed information at the specified time (rightward is later in the future).
- Hour: local time
- Wind: average wind speed, direction (arrow), and gust
- Temperature: fahrenheit or celsius
- Wave (only available in the WW3 model): average height, direction (arrow), and period (in seconds)
- Precipitation: green dots represent the precipitation rate, with one dot representing drizzle/sprinkles, two meaning light, three meaning moderate, and four meaning heavy
- Cloud: average percentage of cloud cover for that hour
- Pressure: measured in millibars
- Run: forecast model run in zulu (UTC)
Tides & Currents
Tidal and current data are available from weather station spots. The nearest tide or current spot will be selected by default.
Sea Surface Current Forecasts
To view sea surface current forecasts, you must be hovered over an area of the map where forecasts are available. Select Sea Surface Currents Forecast from the product menu.
Forecast Model Options
WeatherFlow-Tempest offers users the opportunity to view many different forecast models. Why so many? We want you to have the same tools that professional meteorologists use to make a forecast. Here's a look at a selection of our available models to help you choose which one is best for your situation.
Micro-scale Models
These models take a lot of computing power because they resolve the features on a small scale. Consequently, the models operate in small areas and short time frames. Use these models when looking for information for small features such as beaches and for the short term.
TRRM - Tempest Real-time Refresh Model
The Tempest Real-time Refresh Model (TRRM) is WeatherFlow-Tempest’s premium weather forecasting product. TRRM is unique in that it combines AI forecast models with the best-available numerical weather prediction models (NWP) for a point forecast.
The model leverages high-density weather station datasets curated from the WF-ProNet and Tempest networks. This rapidly growing resource provides an advantage to train the AI model in areas where observational data from weather stations is available. Forecast performance at other locations also benefit from the outstanding forecast performance at nearby station locations.
TRRM updates hourly and is available at an increasing number of weather station locations. At this time, the TRRM forecasts are not available as a map product overlay, but will eventually be put onto grids for visualization and mapping.
TOne-WRF - TempestOne Weather Research and Forecasting Model - A Weatherflow exclusive. This model is available to our premium customers in limited areas. The resolution varies from 1 to 9km. We use our own proprietary network of sensors to seed the model which enables the model to initialize much closer to reality than other high-resolution algorithms. TOne-WRF is currently running out up to 40 hours, 4 times daily. This is a great model to use to identify where localized sea breezes will develop or how strong wind gusts near thunderstorms may reach.
Our own TOne-WRF model has distinct boundaries, which you can see when looking at our various Forecast Map and Live Wind features. The TOne-WRF model is our own in-house forecast model, with tuning and boundaries that we believe produce the best possible forecasts for key coastal locations around the US (and in a few select locales in Mexico and Canada). Because high-resolution models are expensive to run, we conserve resources by sticking to the boundaries shown in the map below:
- White outline: 1 km resolution
- Gold outline: 2 km resolution
- Purple outline: 3 km resolution
- Red outline: 6 km resolution
- Blue outline: 9 km resolution
WRF - The Weather Research and Forecasting Model - Is the product of a multi-agency and university collaboration. We deliver this to you with a 5 km resolution for the continental United States and the surrounding coastal regions.
HRRR - High Resolution Rapid Refresh - Is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) & National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) operational weather prediction system comprised of a numerical forecast model and an analysis/assimilation system to initialize the model. It is run with a horizontal resolution of 3 km. The model is run over the CONUS every hour of the day; it is integrated to 48 hours for the 00/06/12/18 UTC cycles and to 18 hours for every other cycle.
ARW 5km - Hawaii Model - It is another model run by UCAR incorporating several different models in an attempt to get better accuracy in Hawaii and Alaska. The higher resolution at 5km is thought to allow this model to better pick out the intricacies of the islands.
Regional Models
NAM - North American Mesoscale Model - This is a short-range model and is delivered on WeatherFlow products in a 3km and 12km resolution for the next 48 to 84 hours. It is run 4 times daily and is only available across North America and surrounding coastal regions. Typically, the first 48 hours are very accurate.
ICON - Icosahedral Nonhydrostatic Weather and Climate Model - The ICON modeling framework is a joint project between the German Weather Service and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology. It is run four times daily (00Z, 06Z, 12Z, 18Z) and produces forecasts for up to 84 hours.
Global Models
GFS - Global Forecast System - It is run four times daily (00Z, 06Z, 12Z, 18Z) and produces forecasts up to 16 days in advance. It is run at roughly 50km resolution. However, the spatial and temporal resolution is reduced as the model is further out in time. The forecast produced beyond day 7 is generally not very accurate. It produces a forecast for every 3rd hour for the first 180 hours.
CMC - Environment Canada Global Model - This model will give you a forecast for all points on the globe. The resolution is approximately 100km resolution and runs out 138 hours.
WW3 - Wavewatch III 0.5 Deg - Through a collaborative effort with NOAA/NCEP and NWS Honolulu, the University of Hawaii has implemented a global-scale Wavewatch III (WW3) 7-day model with a 5-day hourly forecast at approximately 50-km or 0.5-deg resolution. The global model is forced with NOAA/NCEP's Global Forecast System (GFS) winds.
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