National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Back-to-Back Winter Storms Across the North-Central U.S.; Severe Weather Threat in the Midwest

A late-season winter storm continues to bring heavy snow, significant sleet, and disruptive icing to the Upper Midwest and western Great Lakes into the morning; and will be followed by another storm. Severe thunderstorms continue across the Midwest to the lower Great Lakes through tonight, before bringing a round of freezing rain and sleet Friday morning across northern New England. Read More >

National Weather Service Dissemination

National Program

NWS GIFS

Weather.gov > National Weather Service Dissemination > NWS GIFS


The Global Telecommunications System (GTS) Internet File Service (GIFS) is provided by the United States National Weather Service (NWS)
for World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Association IV (RA-IV) Member States, and other WMO Regions that are adjacent to
RA-IV, as a highly reliable Internet source of meteorological products. The purpose of GIFS is to provide access to WMO RA-IV related weather information in BUFR, GRIB, alpha-numeric text, and T4-FAX data types to facilitate Members' access to information needed for operational and some research activities between the United States and nations in the Caribbean, North America, and Central America. This service is available
to all authorized WMO RA-IV Member States as well as other WMO Regions adjacent to RA-IV. The GIFS is the primary service for GTS data within RA-IV.

  • GIFS is the primary method for RA-IV RMTN users to obtain GTS data products.
  • GIFS allows WMO RA-IV RMTN users to download (pull) GTS data products from GIFS over the Internet.
  • GIFS makes available the entire suite of meteorological data products that were broadcast by the legacy ISCS satellite system.

The NWS is planning a satellite based broadcast service for backup: