Significant Update to ECMWF Free Web Site

[wxman57]

I just went over to the ECMWF web page:

http://www.ecmwf.int/products/forecasts ... 2010030112!!/

There are two big changes to the products available:
1. The 500mb maps now include 850mb temps. They look a lot better (see below0
2. The maps now begin with the 00hr map vs. starting with the 72hr map.

It looks like the 850mb temperature contours are in 4 degrees C increments. The red color is 20C.

[srainhoutx]

This is great news! Thanks wxman57.

[wxman57]

Sort of handy come winter beyond Hour 168.

The PSU e-Wall version has 850 mb and 700 mb relative humidities, and the 5400 meter thickness line, so its still better for shorter range.

Maybe you weren't familiar with the main ECMWF web site before, Ed. They're very protective of their highly-priced model data. I'm surprised Penn State is still able to post those maps online. The ECMWF web site always had 500mb charts out to 10 days, but they were just plain maps with blue lines for the contours. No 850mb temps were available. And they started at day 3 (72 hours) vs. day 1 (0 hrs) so you could never check today or the next few days. It's a big change for them. Hopefully it's not just a tease. They could remove the maps at any time.

[srainhoutx]

Sort of handy come winter beyond Hour 168.

The PSU e-Wall version has 850 mb and 700 mb relative humidities, and the 5400 meter thickness line, so its still better for shorter range.

Maybe you weren't familiar with the main ECMWF web site before, Ed. They're very protective of their highly-priced model data. I'm surprised Penn State is still able to post those maps online. The ECMWF web site always had 500mb charts out to 10 days, but they were just plain maps with blue lines for the contours. No 850mb temps were available. And they started at day 3 (72 hours) vs. day 1 (0 hrs) so you could never check today or the next few days. It's a big change for them. Hopefully it's not just a tease. They could remove the maps at any time.

I do wonder if this is similar to the "teaser" freebies we have seen several times this winter season with precip.