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Forecast Models used in Weather Routing
Forecast Models used in Weather Routing

what forecast models and resolution are used for weather routing and departure planning.

Nick Olson avatar
Written by Nick Olson
Updated in the last hour

The PredictWind cloud-based weather routing algorithm uses the following combinations automatically for calculating each weather route and departure plan.

  • ECMWF:

    • If your route is inside an area where the AROME model is available, the AROME 1.3km high-resolution model will be used to calculate the first two days of the route; then, the ECWMF 9km model is used for days 2-10. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

    • If your route is outside an area where the AROME model is available, the ECWMF 9km model is used for days 1-10. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

  • GFS:

    • If your route is inside an area where the NAM model is available, the NAM 5km high-resolution model will be used to calculate the first 3.5 days of the route; then, the GFS 25 km model is used for days 2-10. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

    • If your route is outside an area where the NAM model is available, the GFS 25 km model is used for days 1-10. Any route extending past ten days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

  • UKMO

    • If your route is inside an area where the UKMO 2K model is available, the UKMO 2km high-resolution model will be used to calculate the first 5 days of the route; then, the UKMO 15 km model is used for days 5-7. Days 7-10 will use ECMWF 9km data. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

    • If your route is outside an area where the UKMO 2K model is available, the UKMO 15 km model is used for days 1-7. Days 7-10 will use ECMWF 9km data. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

  • SPIRE

    • The SPIRE 12km model will be used for days 1-10. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

  • PWG:

    • If your route is inside an area of 1km high-resolution PWG GRIBS, this data will be used for the first 36 hours; then, the 8km data will be used out to day 7. From days 7 -10, the PWG 50 km data will be used. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

    • If your route is outside an area of 1km/ 8km high-resolution PWG forecast, the 50km PWG forecast will be used to calculate the route to day 10. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

  • PWE:

    • If your route is inside an area of 1km high-resolution PWE GRIBS, this data will be used for the first 36 hours; then, the 8km data will be used out to day 7. From days 7 -10, the PWG 50 km data will be used. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

    • If your route is outside an area of 1km/ 8km high-resolution PWE forecast, the 50km PWE forecast will be used to calculate the route to day 10. Any route extending past 10 days will be completed using the ECMWF ensemble (from 10 days to 30 days).

  • ECMWF ENSEMBLE:

    • For the Ensemble model, we download all 101 members of the ECMWF ensemble and use AI to match the ensemble member that most closely matches the 10-day ECMWF forecast; the member is then used for the 10-30-day forecast. Every 12 hours, we run this AI matching process to update the closest ensemble member. If you use the routing on the website and the PredictWind App, you will see the ECMWF Ensemble data load in the maps after 10 days from NOW.

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