The Forecast is based on the GFS-model of the American Weather Service NOAA. Forecasts are available for every location worldwide. The horizontal resolution is about 27km. Forecasts are created four times a day, at about 5, 11, 17 and 23 o'clock UTC.
The Superforecast for Europe is based on the newest versions of regional weather prediction models. At the moment the Superforecast is available for Europe in a horizontal resolution of 12 kilometers in hourly timesteps. The forecasts are generated four times a day, at about 4, 10, 16 and 22 o'clock UTC. There is no time delay, all values are presented as they become available from our computers. The Superforecast for Northern America covers the whole American continent with a horizontal resolution of 12 kilometers in hourly timesteps. Forecasts are generated at about 3.30, 9.30, 15.30 and 21.30 o'clock UTC:
The Superforecast for Egypt uses a 7km resolution in hourly timesteps. The forecast are updated at about 4, 10, 16 and 22 o'clock UTC.
We always want to present you the best forecasts. Unfortunately, the forecasts for some spots and some wind directions are not as good as we want them to be. There are local effects and thermal influences at these spots, which are very hard to predict. If you surf for many years at your local spot you may know these peculiarities. But we are already working on this problem.
It is also possible that the general weather situation is very unstable, so that all numerical weather prediction models have problems forecasting the development of the weather situation. The path of pressure systems (high / low pressure) is crucial for the wind conditions. The computation of this path can be wrong if there are unstable weather situations.
Further the forecast quality declines with longer forecast horizons (e.g. 3 days or longer). This is a general problem with weather prediction models.
Forecast and Superforecast are based on different physical models. These models may predict the weather dynamics in different ways which results in different wind forecasts. Different values are a sign for the stability of the general weather situation.
Because of the better horizontal resolution, a more advanced physical model and a more detailed terrain model the Superforecast should be preferred. In addition, all predicted values are available in hourly timesteps.
In general, you have to look for your local spot which forecast model works better for you. For some spots this will be the Superforecast, for others this may also be the Forecast.
The wind gusts are computed by our forecast models. The forecasted values correspond to the maximum wind gusts at the given time.
The arrows are aligned with the wind stream direction. Example: a northerly wind (e.g. a wind that is coming from the north, blowing to the south) is indicated with an arrow pointing downward.
In addition to our spot forecasts we also have forecast maps for both Forecast and Superforecast. There is also a animation for every forecast map. Forecast maps give you a better picture of the general weather situation. There you can clearly see whether you are in the middle of a big wind field or if your local spot is barely touched by the wind field.
» Forecast maps for Forecast
» Forecast maps for Superforecast
For some weatherstations there is a short term forecast for the next few hours below the wind report chart. These forecasts are mostly created by local forecasters at nearby airports. In general, these forecasts are good for local conditions (like local severe weather conditions).
The wave forecasts are computed with the global wave forecast model WW3 run by the American Weather Service NOAA. The forecasted wave values only give an estimation about the expected waves. Local conditions may vary.
We are always interested in your experiences with our forecasts for your local spot. If you have any feedback, suggestions or questions, don't hesitate to send a mail to info -- at -- windfinder.com
