Ocean Prediction Center

Ocean Prediction Center National Centers for Environmental Prediction National

Weather Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
OPC originates and issues marine warnings and forecasts, continually monitors and
analyzes maritime data, and provides guidance of marine atmospheric variables for purposes of
protection of life and property, safety at sea, and enhancement of economic opportunity.
The Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) strives to be the mariner’s weather lifeline,
providing marine forecasts, watches and warnings to a wide variety of customers and
stakeholders with interests at sea. The OPC evolved from the Marine Prediction Group, prior to
the creation of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and was originally
proposed to have been a joint venture with the National Ocean Service (NOS). One overarching
recommendation of this review is that the National Weather Service (NWS) and NOS should
reconsider the original proposal, converting OPC into Joint Center with an operations component
and an applications component.
Weather Analysis & Forecasts
Ice & Iceberg Analysis & Forecasts

Ocean Analysis & Forecasts

Observational Data

Digital Forecast Data

Model Guidance

Vision:
“The OPC strives to be recognized as the mariner’s weather lifeline and the center where
NOAA’s physical oceanographic observations, modeling research and operational services come
together.”
Mission:
“To deliver atmospheric and oceanographic warning, forecast, analysis and guidance products
and services as part of the NOAA mission of protecting life and property and enhancing
economic opportunity.”

The GRIB Forecasting Data

The different GRIB versions
GRIB is a file format for the storage and transport of gridded meteorological data, such as
Numerical Weather Prediction model output. It is designed to be self-describing, compact and
portable across computer architectures. The GRIB standard was designed and is maintained by
the World Meteorological Organization.
Over the years, the WMO issued three editions of the GRIB standard:

 GRIB Edition 0: now obsolete, unsupported, and rarely used.

 GRIB Edition 1: no longer the most current WMO GRIB edition, the format of Edition 1
has been frozen from future enhancements. However, due to it's usage in the World Area
 Forecast system of the ICAO, it it still recognized by the WMO. In the medium term, the
CMC will no longer produce data in this format.
 GRIB Edition 2 (Requires Acrobat Reader to view) (GRIB2): the GRIB2 format
represents an enlarging and a significant modernization of the GRIB standard. It is being
phased in by the ECMWF and some national Numerical Weather Prediction institutions,
notably in the US and Europe. A significant modernization and broadening of
the GRIB standard, Edition 2 is not backward-compatible with Edition 1.

Before 2010, the CMC was offering it's data only in GRIB1 format. Starting in 2010, the CMC is
offering data in GRIB1 and GRIB2 format in order for it's client to be able to migrate toward the
new GRIB2 format. In 2011, the CMC aims to distribute only in GRIB2 format.
Who uses it, and what for?
GRIB data is used by individuals, institutions and businesses who have the means and
motivation to tap into numerical data from weather models in the rawest possible
form. GRIB data is often only one step removed from the original model output. Once decoded,
the data can be post-processed for visualization, or used as input for numerical weather
prediction applications that require gridded data.
What is in a GRIB file?
A GRIB file contains one or more data records, arranged as a sequential bit stream. Each record
begins with a header, followed by packed binary data. The header is composed of unsigned 8-bit
numbers (octets). It contains information about :

 the qualitative nature of the data (field, level, date of production, forecast valid time, etc),
 the header itself (meta-information on header length, header byte usage, presence of
optional sub-headers),
 the method and parameters to be used to decode the packed data,
 the layout and geographical characteristics of the grid the data is to be plotted on.

Software to use GRIB format

The Meteorological Service of Canada does not distribute publicly any decoding or visualization
software for the GRIB format. Here is a non exhaustive list of links to find software to
manipulate and display GRIB data::

 Decoding and processing:

o wgrib (GRIB1)
o wgrib2 (GRIB2)
 Visualization and interpolation:
o WINGRIDDS
o OpenGrADS (OpenGRADS Bundle for GRIB2)
o GEMPAK
o NCAR NCL
The Interpretation of Weather Maps in Surface Analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view
of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from
ground-based weather stations.
Weather maps are created by plotting or tracing the values of relevant quantities such
as sea level pressure, temperature, and cloud cover onto a geographical map to help find synoptic
scale features such as weather fronts.
Surface weather analyses have special symbols that show frontal systems, cloud
cover, precipitation, or other important information. For example, an H may represent high
pressure, implying clear skies and relatively warm weather. An L, on the other hand, may
represent low pressure, which frequently accompanies precipitation. Various symbols are used
not just for frontal zones and other surface boundaries on weather maps, but also to depict the
present weather at various locations on the weather map. Areas of precipitation help determine
the frontal type and location.
Historically, the surface weather map was the first weather map produced, dating back to
the early 19th century. Even today, it remains the one of the most useful charts for ascertaining
current weather conditions just above the surface of the earth for a large geographic region.
These maps are called surface analysis charts if they contain fronts and analyzed pressure fields,
with the solid lines representing isobars.
SURFACE STATION MODELS
A display of all this information for many locations at one given time would be difficult
to make and interpret unless a uniform system of plotting were adopted. The pictorial
presentation and weather data together with an analysis can be determined at a glance. The
location of each reporting station has been printed on the base maps as a small circle. The
weather data from each reporting station are plotted around these circles on these base maps in a
particular systematic fashion called a "station model". A sample station model for a weather
observation station, complete with the proper position of the weather data:
The BEAUFORT SCALE with complete analysis
Beaufort scale, in full Beaufort wind force scale, scale devised in 1805 by Commander (later
Admiral and Knight Commander of the Bath) Francis Beaufort of the British navy for observing
and classifying wind force at sea. Originally based on the effect of the wind on a full-rigged
man-of-war, in 1838 it became mandatory for log entries in all ships in the Royal Navy. Altered
to include observations of the state of the sea and phenomena on land as criteria, it was adopted
in 1874 by the International Meteorological Committee for international use
in weather telegraphy.
Origin and current use
The Beaufort scale as originally drawn up was calibrated to Beaufort’s assessment of the various
effects of the wind on a full-rigged man-of-war. Somewhat arbitrarily, he identified 13 states of
wind force on his vessel and ranked them 0 to 12. The scale, however, made no reference to the
speed of the wind, and various attempts, particularly during the 20th century, have been made to
correlate the two. An attempt made in 1912 by the International Commission for Weather
Telegraphers was interrupted by World War I. In 1921 G.C. Simpson was asked to formulate
equivalents, which were accepted in 1926 by the Committee. 
The scale is now rarely used by professional meteorologists, having been largely replaced by
more objective methods of determining wind speeds—such as using anemometers, tracking wind
echoes with Doppler radar, and monitoring the deflection of rising weather balloons
and radiosondes from their points of release.

The Beaufort scale of wind (nautical)

Beaufort
name of wind wind speed description of sea surface
number

knots kph

0 calm <1 <1 sea like a mirror

ripples with appearance of scales are formed,

1 light air 1–3 1–5
without foam crests

small wavelets still short but more

2 light breeze 4–6 6–11 pronounced; crests have a glassy appearance
but do not break

large wavelets; crests begin to break; foam of

3 gentle breeze 7–10 12–19 glassy appearance; perhaps scattered white
horses

moderate small waves becoming longer; fairly frequent

4 11–16 20–28
breeze white horses

moderate waves taking a more pronounced

5 fresh breeze 17–21 29–38 long form; many white horses are formed;
chance of some spray

large waves begin to form; the white foam

6 strong breeze 22–27 39–49 crests are more extensive everywhere;
probably some spray

sea heaps up and white foam from breaking

moderate gale waves begins to be blown in streaks along
7 28–33 50–61
(or near gale) the direction of the wind; spindrift begins to
be seen

8 fresh gale (or 34–40 62–74 moderately high waves of greater length;
gale) edges of crests break into spindrift; foam is
 blown in well-marked streaks along the
direction of the wind

high waves; dense streaks of foam along the

9 strong gale 41–47 75–88 direction of the wind; sea begins to roll;
spray affects visibility

very high waves with long overhanging

crests; resulting foam in great patches is
blown in dense white streaks along the
whole gale (or 89–
10 48–55 direction of the wind; on the whole the
storm) 102
surface of the sea takes on a white
appearance; rolling of the sea becomes
heavy; visibility affected

exceptionally high waves; small- and

medium-sized ships might be for a long time
storm (or 103– lost to view behind the waves; sea is covered
11 56–63
violent storm) 114 with long white patches of foam; everywhere
the edges of the wave crests are blown into
foam; visibility affected

117 the air is filled with foam and spray; sea is

64 and
12–17 hurricane and completely white with driving spray;
above
above visibility very seriously affected

sea      average
Beaufort
disturbance wave
number
number     height

ft m

0 0 0 0

1 0 0 0

2 1 0–1 0–0.3

0.3–
3 2 1–2
0.6

0.6–
4 3 2–4
1.2

1.2–
5 4 4–8
2.4
6 5 8–13 2.4–4

7 6 13–20 4–6

8 6 13–20 4–6

9 6 13–20 4–6

10 7 20–30 6–9

11 8 30–45 9–14

over over
12–17 9
45 14