CRAS

Important User Notice

Some CRAS runs were discontinued on 18 December 2018. If you were a user, please contact us.

Model Analyses and Forecasts

These models fuse retrievals from satellite observations into weather forecasts:
CRAS45NA || CRAS40HI || CRAS15MW || CRAS48SP

Last updated:  Thu Oct 12 16:35:18 UTC 2023

Northern Hemisphere
  00 UTC 06 UTC 12 UTC 18 UTC
coarse
medium
fine

3-Hourly Charts
4-Panel Charts

2022-07-24
- coarse
medium
fine

3-Hourly Charts
4-Panel Charts

2022-07-24
-
CRAS45NA — 84-hour Forecast for North America
Assimilates GOES Sounder water vapor and clouds
coarse
medium
fine

3-Hourly Charts
4-Panel Charts

2023-10-12
- coarse
medium
fine

3-Hourly Charts
4-Panel Charts

2023-10-12
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CRAS40HI — 72-hour Forecast for Hawaii-Pacific Ocean
Assimilates GOES Sounder water vapor and clouds
coarse
medium
fine

1-Hourly Charts
4-Panel Charts

1-Hr Wisconsin

2022-07-24
- coarse
medium
fine

1-Hourly Charts
4-Panel Charts

1-Hr Wisconsin

2022-07-24
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CRAS15MW — 36-hour Forecast for Midwest-Central US
Assimilates GOES Sounder water vapor and clouds
Southern Hemisphere
  00 UTC 06 UTC 12 UTC 18 UTC
coarse
medium
fine

3-Hourly Charts
4-Panel Charts

2023-10-12
- coarse
medium
fine

3-Hourly Charts
4-Panel Charts

2023-10-12
-
CRAS48SP — 72-hour Forecast for Antarctica-South Pole
Assimilates Aqua/Terra MODIS water vapor and clouds


CRAS AUTOMATED ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE FOR METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE STUDIES MADISON WI
0435 PM UTC THU OCT 12 2023

GEMPAK IMAGE GENERATION FOR THE 20231012/12Z CRAS40HI IS NOW COMPLETE.

.END

Google Earth KML Output

KML 
A new window will open.  KMZ is a bundle of the latest KMLs.

CRAS/CRTMA GRIB2 Output

* Directory for CRAS45NA GRIB2 Messages on AWIPS 212 Grid
* Directory for CRAS40HI GRIB2 Messages on AWIPS 254 Grid Subset
* Directory for CRTMA5GL GRIB2 Messages on Custom Great Lakes Grid

These computer forecasts are EXPERIMENTAL and are used by atmospheric scientists to assess the value of satellite observations in numerical weather prediction. Although the accuracy of these products is consistently good, forecast errors can occur due to non-receipt of data, observation errors, and computer problems. The forecasts are fully automated and are not always closely monitored by CIMSS scientists. The risk of using the CRAS to plan weather-sensitive activities falls on the user. Feedback will help us improve deficiencies in the CRAS. Please forward any comments to the CRASmaster using the contact form.


About these Forecasts

The purpose of the CRAS is to test the use of satellite observations in a numerical prediction model. The quality of a numerical forecast depends on having accurate observations of the environment to define the forecast model's initial state. Here is a list of the observations that are currently used in the CRAS 12-hour spin-up forecast:
    3-layer precipitable water (mm) from the GOES-13/15 sounders
    Cloud-top pressure (hPa) and effective cloud amount (%) from the GOES-13/15 sounders
    4-layer thickness (m) from the GOES-13/15 sounders
    Cloud-top pressure (hPa) from MODIS
    Gridded hourly precipitation amounts from NCEP
    Cloud-track and water vapor winds (m/s) from the GOES-13/15 imagers
    Cloud-top pressure (hPa) and effective cloud amount (%) from the GOES-13 imager
    Surface temperature (C), dew points (C) and winds (m/s)
    Sea surface temperature (C) and sea ice coverage (%) from NCEP rtg analysis


Support for the National Weather Service

* NWS Area Forecast Discussions referencing CRAS
* Archive of Forecast Synthetic IR Window Loops from Select Runs (Animated GIFs)

Numerical Weather Prediction Research at CIMSS

* 61 km CRAS Hurricane Track Prediction Project

* 60-hour Simulation of the Edmund Fitzgerald Storm

* Numerical Weather Prediction Concepts

* Land Surface Energy/Water Budget Studies

* CIMSS Convective Development Nearcasting Model (CCDNM) — GOES-East
    * Nowcasting Analysis Project using the GOES sounder
* CIMSS Convective Development Nearcasting Model (CCDNM) — GOES-West

* Publications referring to CRAS


U. Wisconsin SSEC CIMSS NESDIS CoRP NESDIS STAR
Please refer questions or comments to the CRASmaster using the contact form.

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