How to Use Pivotal Weather to Access Weather Model Data

Pivotal Weather is a website that provides access to various weather model data, such as the Global Forecast System (GFS), the Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS), and the Canadian Multi-Model Ensemble (CMCE). In this blog post, we will explain how to use Pivotal Weather to view different parameters, regions, and forecast hours for these models.

First, you need to go to https://www.pivotalweather.com/model.php and select the model you want to view from the drop-down menu at the top left corner. For example, if you want to view the GFS model, you can select “GFS” from the menu. You can also select the region you want to zoom in on from the drop-down menu at the top right corner. For example, if you want to view the continental US, you can select “Continental US” from the menu.

Next, you need to select the parameter you want to view from the drop-down menu at the bottom left corner. For example, if you want to view the precipitation type and rate, you can select “Precipitation Type, Rate” from the menu. You can also select the forecast hour you want to view from the slider at the bottom right corner. For example, if you want to view the forecast for Thu 2023-11-09 12z, you can move the slider to that position.

Once you have selected your model, region, parameter, and forecast hour, you can view the map image that shows the model output for your choices. You can also click on any point on the map to get more detailed information about that location, such as latitude, longitude, elevation, and model values. You can also animate the map by clicking on the play button at the bottom right corner.

Some models have additional features that you can access from the drop-down menus below the map. For example, for the RRFS model, you can view explicit convective products such as reflectivity and updraft helicity by selecting them from the menu below “Parameter”. For the CMCE model, you can view ensemble statistics such as median and percentiles by selecting them from the menu below “Member”.

Pivotal Weather is a useful tool for weather enthusiasts, students, researchers, and professionals who want to access weather model data in an easy and interactive way. You can explore different models, parameters, regions, and forecast hours to get a better understanding of the weather patterns and phenomena that affect our lives.