zyGrib

I add my thanks and congratulations. I give zyGrib a fair amount of publicity on my site http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather. I also always recommend zyGrib in my talks and whenever asked to recommend a GRIB service.

Although not quite as flexible as using Saildocs by email, it has more data options and must be just about the easiest and quickest of all to use. For economic reasons when cruising, I prefer to get my GRIBs using the Saildocs repeat request facility. However, I often use the zyGrib viewer and would always use zyGrib for one-off requests and whenever band width is not a problem.

Queries/suggestions -

The GFS is now available out to 8 days via Saildocs. Presumably, you will bring zyGrib into line. Do yo know when? Maybe not a high priority but at least one iPhone app gives 8 days.

I suggest that it would be convenient if it were possible to use the arrow keys for time-steps. One could then leave the mouse pointer fixed and easily read off changes at a point while advancing in time.

From weatheronlin.co.uk, I see that the UK Met Office is making some GRIB data available on the internat - although only to 60 hours. Is there any possibility that you might approach the UK, noting the data already on weatheronline and explore the possibility of having UKMO Global data as an alternative to the GFS. They are, I understand, of a comparable standard with the UK slightly the better at present. In practice, I suspect that differences on any specific occasion are likely to be due to differences at the data analysis/assimilation stage rather than in the models themselves.

The GFS, like the UKMO now uses a grid about 1/4 degree but only makes data available on a 1/2 degree grid. Do you know of any plans to make data available on the 1/4 degree or. maybe, somewhere between the two - say 1/3 degree?

In case anyone suggests it, I recommend that you do not offer meso-scale forecasts. The improvement in the GFS over the last year, after the latest round of enhancements, has bee quite remarkable. I think that most meso-scale models would simply give more data but little more real useful information.

Thanks, again, and please keep up the good work.

Hello,
From today, if you choose a duration of 7 days, in practice you receive a 8 days file. Download dialog box will be updated in next release.
However I'm not sure that these 8 days forecasts are really usable.
Whatever the subject, I never know when...
You have to try "Page up/down"... but I just discover a new bug: data are not correctly updated on the board, so you have to slightly move the mouse... will be fixed in next release... no, I don't know when
Why not take a look, if you found information about the recovery of data.
I don't know.

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A+
Jacques

Thank you.

First. You are quite correct to doubt the usefulness of 8 day forecasts. However, the US have decided to start issuing them after their enhancement to the GFS in June 2010; clearly they think that there is some skill there.

My view is that 12 months ago, the GFS day 4 was usually helpful while day 5 was rarely misleading. Days 6 and 7 were hit and miss as useful sailing tools. Now, it seems that day 5 is usually helpful, days 6 and 7 are usually not misleading. Forecasts are continually improving. It will be instructive to keep an eye on these longer period forecasts . They will improve in time.

Secondly. The point that I was trying to make about weatheronline.co.uk was that they seem to be getting some UKMO GRIB data; the door to these data has opened just a little. I realize that this is a political problem within Europe but I detect some softening of attitude.

Norway makes some HIRLAM GRIB data available. Norway, Denmark and spain all put HIRLAM GRIB data on browseers. It is only a matter of time before more GRIB data become available.

zyGrib is clearly a well respected, not-for-profit service that helps sailors and others to avoid trouble. That is what marine forecasts broadcast under the GMDSS are all about. The UK Met Office is currently reviewing its services to leisure (and other) sailors. They might just be interested in making some of their days available in a form that sailors can use.

Perhaps zyGrib should give a little push and see if the door opens further.