Reliability of Wind Predictions

[adfrolov]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

The European model is OK. I did not find it better or worse. It is nice to have both sources and compare the info.

I did find the European data more difficult to download and process as not all packages read it. I used the French website to download.

If you know a better (platform independent) way to download, PLS share.

b.

We are working now on adding in our app. And also on adding offline forecast to the app. This is why I've asked.

Is it OK to use it in app or you need a special format?

[Pete O Static]

IMHO too many sailors are placing way too much reliance on GRIBS as there primary source for wind and wave information. Companies like Predictwind don't help. This is likely because they are easy to read but the reality is, they are nothing more than a display of a computer model predicting "GRADIENT" wind.

Of course you are going to have variables that will influence the actual winds at any given point. Moisture content, local terrain, CAPE, convergence with upper level divergence, or other variables not displayed with GRIBS.

GRIBS are only one piece of the overall puzzle.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by adfrolov

We are working now on adding in our app. And also on adding offline forecast to the app. This is why I've asked.

Is it OK to use it in app or you need a special format?

Simply access the European source and read if they place any limitation on use and resale.

I was not using the source data but simply downloaded the gribs via the French website.

But their grib data did not work for me across all programs - some read it, others did not. There are many grib formats now and not all wx software reads all of them.

Cheers,
b.

[bcboomer]

Anybody else see the interview with Johnny Carson talking about his "Goat Reports" when he was a morning radio jockey?

Johnny would predict the days weather based on whether the goats on a hill behind the station were grazing at the top of the hill (fair weather), or at the bottom of the hill (rain).
The "Goat Report" was so much more accurate than the official forecasts that the weather office threatened to stop providing them to the station so he had to quit.

[adfrolov]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Simply access the European source and read if they place any limitation on use and resale.

I was not using the source data but simply downloaded the gribs via the French website.

But their grib data did not work for me across all programs - some read it, others did not. There are many grib formats now and not all wx software reads all of them.

Cheers,
b.

What if it won't be a grib? But the data in the app like WINDY? There's an animated map with wind and forecast tables. Or you want to use it in a different case?

[conachair]

Originally Posted by adfrolov

What if it won't be a grib? But the data in the app like WINDY? There's an animated map with wind and forecast tables. Or you want to use it in a different case?

Isn't that built in already in https://www.windytv.com ?

3 models to choose from, gfs, ecmwf and nems selectable bottom right.

[Pelagic]

This article about the value of ship weather observations is interesting

Are Ship Weather Observations Still Valuable In The Era Of Satellites? – gCaptain