Many of you remember F5Data, one of the first weather modeling tools designed to be used by the paying public. That was in 2003. Since then the product has evolved, the latest rendition being web-based. I’ve always been a fan of the products by Andrew Revering’s company Convective Development, however, when I switched to Mac a few years ago, F5 was no longer an option as it was Windows based. That was then, this is now:
Map example using the save feature
The new F5weather is as friendly as the popular free modeling website, Pivotal Weather, but with ECMWF data included, exclusive composite maps, a sweet interface, plus more outlined below. When comparing to sites with a paywall, F5 excels. Models, regions and product selection is a breeze, the output is rich with nicely contrasting color tables, and the owner is focused squarely on product improvement so we know things will continually evolve. A look at the interface:
Example of the model builder interface
Pricing is in line with the other pay-for modeling sites. It’s important to understand why these paysites charge what they do. ECMWF data alone can run as high as $250k per year, depending on the license type. Processing all of this model data then serving it is not cheap either. Here’s how pricing breaks down:
Competitive pricing
The best way to make sense of the packages is to demo the product. F5weather offers a free 7-day evaluation. When you’re ready to buy, use coupon code WX10 for a discount. I’ve broken down the NAM product menu here:
NAM products
Within the builder interface, F5 includes tools to draw on the image, measure distance, animate, and more. F5weather also has click-on-map soundings as well as model data tables for a deeper data dive:
I mentioned composite maps. For years I’ve watched the custom APRWX Severe and Tornado models verify time and again. I’d like to see verification stats if they exist but suffice it to say, Andy’s mix of models that make up these products are extremely consistent. I'd show them here but we're in for a stretch of non-severe at the moment.
There’s a lot more to this service than I can possibly outline here. Simply put, I’m a fan and, in the interest of disclosure, this post was not solicited. I am a paid customer.
Map example using the save feature
The new F5weather is as friendly as the popular free modeling website, Pivotal Weather, but with ECMWF data included, exclusive composite maps, a sweet interface, plus more outlined below. When comparing to sites with a paywall, F5 excels. Models, regions and product selection is a breeze, the output is rich with nicely contrasting color tables, and the owner is focused squarely on product improvement so we know things will continually evolve. A look at the interface:
Example of the model builder interface
Pricing is in line with the other pay-for modeling sites. It’s important to understand why these paysites charge what they do. ECMWF data alone can run as high as $250k per year, depending on the license type. Processing all of this model data then serving it is not cheap either. Here’s how pricing breaks down:
Competitive pricing
The best way to make sense of the packages is to demo the product. F5weather offers a free 7-day evaluation. When you’re ready to buy, use coupon code WX10 for a discount. I’ve broken down the NAM product menu here:
NAM products
There’s a lot more to this service than I can possibly outline here. Simply put, I’m a fan and, in the interest of disclosure, this post was not solicited. I am a paid customer.
