2020/08/TBD
DM04-20.02 Removal of Products from the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS)

NOXX10 KWBC 301647
Data Management Message 04-20.02 

To: Subscribers:
    -NOAA Weather Wire Service
    -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
    -NOAAPORT
    Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees

From: Jason Levit
      Chief, Verification, Post-Processing, Product
      Generation Branch
      NCEP/Environmental Modeling Center

Subject: Removal of Products from the Global Ensemble Forecast
         System (GEFS)

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) is
removing certain products from the Global Ensemble Forecast 
System (GEFS).

The products listed below are forecast data produced by the GEFS
at a 2.5 x 2.5 degree spatial resolution, 1.25 x 1.25 degree 
spatial resolution, and at 1.0 x 1.0 degree spatial resolution.
Currently, the highest spatial resolution data produced by the
GEFS is at 0.5 x 0.5 degrees. NCEP is proposing to not produce
data at the 2.5, 1.25, and 1.0 degree resolutions. The 0.5 x 0.5
degree GEFS data will be the only resolution produced under this
proposal. 

These changes will occur when the next version of the
GEFS, Version 12, is implemented into operations, tentatively
scheduled for August 2020. 

The following products will be removed from NCEP Web Services,
including NOMADS grib filter, OpenDAP, FTP, TGFTP and SBN/NOAAPORT:

For FTP, NOMADS and OpenDAP, data and files from the following
list:

    https://ftp.ncep.noaa.gov/data/nccf/com/gens/prod/
    https://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/pub/data/nccf/com/gens/prod/
    - gefs.YYYYMMDD/CC/pgrb2a
    - gefs.YYYYMMDD/CC/pgrb2alr
    - gefs.YYYYMMDD/CC/pgrb2b
    - gefs.YYYYMMDD/CC/pgrb2blr
    - gefs.YYYYMMDD/CC/pgrb2ap5/*.anl
    - gefs.YYYYMMDD/CC/pgrb2bp5/*.anl
    - gefs.YYYYMMDD/CC/wafs
    - gefs.YYYYMMDD/00/ensstat

Where YYYYMMDD is the initialization year, month, and day, and CC
is the model cycle (00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC), with the exception of
the ensstat directory, which is only generated at 00 UTC.

The data in the pgrb2alr and pbgr2blr directories represent all
forecast fields from the GEFS at a 2.5 x 2.5 degree resolution. The
data in the pgrb2a and pgrb2b directories represent all forecast
fields from the GEFS at a 1.0 x 1.0 degree resolution. These
products are replaced by the data in the pgrb2ap5 and pgrb2bp5
directories, which are at a 0.5 x 0.5 degree resolution.

Only the analysis files (*.anl) data in the pgrb2ap5 and pbgr2bp5
directories are proposed for removal. The initial forecast hour
(f000) data files in these directories contain the information in
the *.anl files so the *.anl files are redundant.

The data in the wafs directories is of 1.25 x 1.25 degree
resolution and only contains information from selected variables
and 10 ensemble members. The 0.5 x 0.5 degree forecast files in the
pgrb2ap5 and pgrb2bp5 directories contain all members and are of a
higher resolution with all variables, and replace the wafs data.

For TGFTP, data and files from the following list:
ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008001/ST.opnl/
  - MT.ensg_CY.CC/RD.YYYYMMDD/PT.grid_DF.gr2_RE.high
  - MT.ensg_CY.CC/RD.YYYYMMDD/PT.grid_DF.gr2_RE.low

Where YYYYMMDD is the initialization year, month, and day, and CC
is the model cycle (00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC). These data contain
GEFS variables at both 2.5 and 1.0 degree resolution, and contain
data also available using the NOMADS and FTP services, so this data
is considered a duplicate.

For SBN/NOAAPORT, GRIB1 data containing WAFS38, WAFS39 and WAFS40
data. These files contain data at 1.25 x 1.25 degree resolution for
select regions with only 10 GEFS members and has been replaced by
the data files at 0.5 x 0.5 degree resolution with full ensemble
membership over the entire globe.

For a list of WMO headers that will be removed for these GRIB1
products, please use the following HTML links:

https://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/products/noaaport/wafs38.ens.header.out
https://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/products/noaaport/wafs39.ens.header.out
https://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/products/noaaport/wafs40.ens.header.out

For SBN/NOAAPORT, GRIB2 data at 1.25 X 1.25 degree resolution for
bias corrected precipitation and 2 meter temperature. These files
are data created by the North American Ensemble Forecast System
(NAEFS), and interpolated to a 1.25 x 1.25 degree resolution during
GEFS data production. These products are produced by the NAEFS at
a 0.5 x 0.5 degree spatial resolution, and are therefore redundant.

For a list of WMO headers that will be removed for these GRIB2
products, please use the following HTML links:

https://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/products/noaaport/gefs_naefs_2tmp.header.out
https://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/products/noaaport/gefs_naefs_apcp.header.out

The 1.0 x 1.0 degree data currently available to NWS Forecast
Offices and National Service Centers AWIPS systems via the data
delivery method on openDaP and NOMADS, will be replaced with 0.5
x 0.5 degree data.

NWS will collect comments on this proposed product removal for 30
days. If product removal is approved, a Service Change Notice will
be issued giving 30 days of notice of the termination date.

Send comments on this proposal to:
  Jason Levit
   NWS/NCEP Environmental Modeling Center College Park, MD
   Jason.Levit@noaa.gov
and
   Carissa Klemmer
   NWS/NCEP Central Operations College Park, MD
   carissa.l.klemmer@noaa.gov

National Public Information Statements are online at:
https://www.weather.gov/notification/

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