Weather Forecasting Tools

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Here’s a broad overview of the types of tools and popular examples that cover many aspects of weather forecasting, from online platforms and mobile apps to professional tools used in meteorology.

1. Weather Websites and Apps

  • Popular Consumer Apps: AccuWeather, The Weather Channel, Weather Underground, NOAA Weather Radar, Carrot Weather, MyRadar.
  • Global Forecast Services: Meteoblue, Windy, Weather.com, WeatherBug, Foreca, Yr.no, Dark Sky.
  • Regional Apps/Websites: BOM (Australia), MetService (New Zealand), SMHI (Sweden), MeteoSwiss, DWD (Germany).

2. Radar and Satellite Imagery Tools

  • Radar Platforms: RadarScope, Radar Omega, MRMS (Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor), GEMPAK.
  • Satellite Imaging Systems: GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite), Himawari, Meteosat, MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer).
  • Specific Satellite Image Viewers: EUMETSAT, NOAA View, NASA Worldview.

3. Meteorological Data and Models

  • Global Numerical Models: ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts), GFS (Global Forecast System), ICON (Germany), CMC (Canadian Model), UKMO (UK Met Office Model).
  • Regional Models: NAM (North American Model), HRRR (High-Resolution Rapid Refresh), WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting), HARMONIE-AROME.
  • Specialized Forecast Models: HYSPLIT (for pollution dispersion), SREF (Short Range Ensemble Forecast), GEFS (Global Ensemble Forecast System).

4. Weather APIs

  • Popular Weather APIs: OpenWeatherMap, Weatherstack, Climacell (now Tomorrow.io), Weatherbit, AerisWeather, Meteostat, Visual Crossing, NOAA’s API, World Weather Online.
  • Specialized APIs: Dark Sky (now owned by Apple, used in Apple Weather), Ambee (for air quality), Climadata (historical data).

5. Observation and Data Collection Tools

  • Weather Stations: Davis Instruments, Ambient Weather, Netatmo, AcuRite, Tempest Weather System, BloomSky.
  • Observation Networks: Mesonet (state-based networks, especially in Oklahoma), CWOP (Citizen Weather Observer Program), WOW (Weather Observation Website), MADIS (Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System).

6. Visualization and Mapping Software

  • GIS Tools for Weather Data: ArcGIS, QGIS with meteorological plugins, Google Earth with weather overlays, Leaflet with weather APIs.
  • Weather Visualization Platforms: Panoply (for climate data), IDV (Integrated Data Viewer), McIDAS (Man-computer Interactive Data Access System).

7. Severe Weather Tracking Tools

  • Storm Trackers: Hurricane Tracker, Storm Radar, MyRadar, Tropical Tidbits, Cyclocane (for tropical cyclones).
  • Severe Weather Alert Systems: FEMA alerts, NOAA Weather Radio, AlertUSA, Weather Alerts USA.

8. Weather Model Processing and Analysis Software

  • Weather Model Software: WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting model), MM5 (Mesoscale Model Version 5), GEMPAK (General Meteorological Package).
  • Data Analysis Software: R (with climate packages), Python with Pandas/Meteostat/MetPy libraries, GrADS (Grid Analysis and Display System), NCL (NCAR Command Language).

9. Specialized Marine and Aviation Forecasting Tools

  • Marine Forecasting: Buoyweather, MarineTraffic, Windfinder, PredictWind, SailFlow.
  • Aviation Forecasting: Aviation Weather Center, SkyVector, AeroWeather, ForeFlight.

10. Climate Data Analysis and Forecasting Tools

  • Climate Analysis Tools: Climdex (Climate Indices Software), RClimDex (R-based package for climate indices), PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model).
  • Long-term Climate Models: CMIP (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project), CESM (Community Earth System Model), ACCESS (Australian Community Climate and Earth-System Simulator).

11. Agricultural Weather and Climate Tools

  • Agricultural Weather Services: FarmLogs, CropX, Climate FieldView, AgroClimate, Granular Insights.
  • Soil and Moisture Data: SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, CropMetrics.

12. Open-source Weather Tools and Data Repositories

  • Weather Data Repositories: Copernicus Climate Data Store, NOAA NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information), ECMWF Open Data.
  • Open-source Projects: OpenWRF, PyWeather, MeteoPy, OpenMeteo.

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