README.md

matplotlib_gfs

Matplotlib and the NOAA's Global Forecasting System.

• A blog entry http://andorian.blogspot.com/2013/03/playing-with-data-from-noaa-global.html
• Rendering of the ipython note book http://nbviewer.ipython.org/urls/github.com/labeneator/matplotlib_gfs/raw/master/noaa_gfs_ipython_session_for_sfluxgrb_dataset.ipynb#

A quick intro on how to play around with GFS data using matplotlib. Ideas come from:

• http://braz.blogspot.com/2009/12/r-for-global-climate-forecasting.html
• http://joewheatley.net/ncep-global-forecast-system/

Prerequisites

Fetched data from NOAA.

http://www.ftp.ncep.noaa.gov/data/nccf/com/gfs/prod/gfs.2013032712/

Installed particular this dataset: http://www.ftp.ncep.noaa.gov/data/nccf/com/gfs/prod/gfs.2013032712/gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2

Installed wgrib2:

http://www.cpc.ncep-global-forecast-systemep.noaa.gov/products/wesley/wgrib2/index.html

Extracted the fields I was interested in from the grib2 file into netcdf

./grib2/wgrib2/wgrib2  -s  gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2  | grep :LAND | ./grib2/wgrib2/wgrib2 -i gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2 -netcdf land.netcdf
../grib2/wgrib2/wgrib2  -s  gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2  | grep TMP:2 | ./grib2/wgrib2/wgrib2 -i gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2 -netcdf temp2.netcdf
../grib2/wgrib2/wgrib2  -s  gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2  | grep VEG: | ./grib2/wgrib2/wgrib2 -i gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2 -netcdf vegetation.netcdf
../grib2/wgrib2/wgrib2  -s  gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2  | grep TCDC: | ./grib2/wgrib2/wgrib2 -i gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2 -netcdf cloud.netcdf

You can view the available fields using:

../grib2/wgrib2/wgrib2  -s  gfs.t12z.sfluxgrbf03.grib2  | less

And visiting: http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/products/gfs/gfs.t00z.sfluxgrbf00.grib2.shtml