GFS model products question

[Marko Korosec]

Hi all,

I was looking at the GFS model maps and one thing disturbs me. I am not really sure how did I found the second site, as I had a link only to the first one:

http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwpara/analysis/namer/gfs/12/model_mu.shtml

This is second link:

http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/namer/gfs/12/model_mu.shtml

You can see there somewhere in the middle of those two links is written "nwpara" on the 1st one and "nwprod" on the 2nd one.

Can someone explain what is the difference? Obviously, maps are different.

Thanks,
Marko

 

[Beau.Gjerdingen]

Can someone explain what is the difference? Obviously, maps are different.

The "Para" graphics are the parallel runs of the models using upgrades NCEP is currently testing. Before NCEP makes any upgrade to an operational model they test it out first for a period on the parallel graphics site.

 

[Chris Nuttall]

Going from the NCEP model site, I found the "nwpara" pages from a link called "Experimental Model Analyses and Forecast." So, my guess would be this is a link to output with some kind of tweaks or changes in the models that are being tested and are not operational yet.

Just what those tweaks are, I don't know.

 

[rdale]

GFS is getting a major facelift, scheduled to be implemented in the main run this May. The parallel is a test version of those changes.

http://www.weather.gov/om/notification/tin08-31gfs_upgrade.txt


1. IMPROVED SKILL IN EXTRATROPICAL 3-DAY FORECAST PERFORMANCE AT
500 MB...PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE BETTER LOWER
STRATOSPHERIC THERMODYNAMIC STRUCTURE


NAM is undergoing more tweaks - http://wwwt.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/mmbpll/paralog/