To provide forecast model developers and the coastal community easy and centralized access to online, real-time physical meteorological, oceanographic, river, and air/water quality information, the Coast Survey Development Laboratory (CSDL) has developed a spatially-referenced Web portal. In addition to providing observation data, the Web portal also provides NOAA forecasts for major estuaries, seaports, and adjacent coastal regions as well as the Great Lakes. The portal, nowCOAST, was constructed using ESRI's off-the-shelf GIS software, ArcIMS.
NowCoast contains links to a variety of outside sources. The ownership of the web sites to which the portal is linked will be clearly visible and retained by them, while the integrity of the nowCoast Web portal connection will be maintained by CSDL. Presently, the portal provides links to oceanographic and/or weather observations: NOS Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) and National Water Level Observation Network stations, National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) fixed buoys and C-MAN stations, National Weather Service's Interactive Weather Information Network, the Federal Aviation Administration's Automated Surface Observing System sites, the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring for Public Access Community Tracking (EMPACT) stations, as well as non-federal government run stations, NWS NEXRAD reflectivities; river observations: United States Geological Survey (USGS) river gages, INFLOWS stations; river forecast guidance: National Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Centers (RFC); and weather and oceanographic forecasts: individual products of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Marine Prediction Center, National Weather Service (NWS) coastal Weather Forecast Offices, National Ocean Service (NOS) estuarine forecast models, and National Weather Service (NWS) Extra-Tropical Storm-Surge Model.
A link to information about nowCOAST is available at the upper right corner of the Web Portal. The page contains general information about nowCOAST, as well as a description of nowCOAST's links, a glossary of terms, and a list of nowCOAST partners.
2. Help file
A help file is available in the upper right corner of the Web Portal. The file describes in-detail how to navigate through the nowCoast ArcIMS interface. The file is outlined as follows: (1) Disclaimers (2) Purpose (3) Usage (4) Tool Descriptions (5) Metadata (6) Contact Information
3. News
A link to nowCOAST news is available at the upper right corner of the Web Portal. The news includes information about version releases, data layer modifications, and demonstrations and conferences (past/future).
NOS' Coast Survey Development Laboratory is not an operational data facility. No warranties are expressed or implied regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided or linked to in the nowCOAST web portal. Users are cautioned to consider the provisional nature of the observations before using it for decision making. The user assumes the entire risk related to use of the data or any information. NOS disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will NOS be liable to you or to any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special exemplary damages or lost profit resulting from any use or misuse of the data or any information presented or linked to in the web portal. NOS reserves the right to suspend or discontinue this web portal, or portions thereof, at any time.
Observations/Data
Observations from mesonets should be considered experimental and not always reliable or accurate. NOAA does not own or operate any of the mesonet sites linked to on this web portal and is not responsible for site maintenance or data accuracy. The links to these mesonets on this web portal are provided as a convenience to the user and does not represent an endorsement of the station and/or mesonet or the observations. There are differences among and sometimes within mesonets in terms of sampling frequency, height of sensors, exposure, observing equipment, etc... This may account for some of the differences in observations when comparing data from nearby stations. If you have questions regarding a particular station or mesonet, please contact the organization responsible for that station or mesonet.
Forecast Guidance
NWS and NOS forecast guidance is computer model generated predictions from numerical- and/or statistical-based weather, oceanographic, or river models. Model forecast guidance is used for input into other numerical forecasts models and also by NOAA and private sector meteorologists, hydrologists, and oceanographers in generation of worded or gridded weather, river, and/or marine forecasts. Users should always consult final worded or gridded marine, weather, and/or river forecasts, warnings or advisories from local NWS Weather Forecast Offices for their particular activity or application.
Disclaimer for 'Weather/Ocean Obs' Selection
Observations from non-NOAA, Department of Defense (DOD), or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stations should be considered experimental and not always reliable or accurate. The links to the other stations are provided as a convenience to the user and does not represent an endorsement by NOS of the station or its observations. The user assumes the entire risk related to use or misuse of the data.
National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorological Development Laboratory, NWS' Model Output Statistics Group, NWS' National Digital Forecast Database Group, NWS' Marine and Coastal Services Branch, NWS' Baltimore-Washington Weather Forecast Office, National Ocean Service (NOS) Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, NOS' Management and Budget Office: Special Projects Office, NOS' HAZMAT Group, Univ. of Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Observing System, Maryland's Dept. of Natural Resources, Rutgers University LEO, University of New Hampshire's Dept. of Geography, EPA/Univ. of Connecticut's mySound EMPACT Network, United States Geological Survey's NWIS, United States Coast Guard, Dept. of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, Long Island Shore Observing Network, Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Network
The Port of New York and New Jersey Operational Forecast System (NYOFS) has been created by NOAA/NOS to provide the maritime community with improved predictions of water level in the New York Harbor. Please be advised that these predictions are based on a hydrodynamic model and, as such, should be considered as computer-generated forecast guidance. Please be advised that these predictions are based on a hydrodynamic model and, as such, should be considered as computer-generated forecast guidance. A detailed analysis of the accuracy of the NYOFS system can be found at <http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/NYOFS/> in the NYOFS Skill Assessment 2002 document.
CO-OPS Disclaimer: The user assumes the entire risk related to its use of these data. NOS is providing these data "as is," and NOS disclaims any and all warranties, whether express or implied, including (without limitation) any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will NOS be liable to you or to any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages or lost profit resulting from any use or misuse of this data.
From the link <http://www.lishore.org/about/disclaimer.htm>
This website maintains a database of meteorological and hydrological data, historical data, images, and written information generated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or received from other official sources. In addition, this site provides in real time a selection of current weather and oceanic observations for use by the national and international community.
The CREWS stations consist of a basic suite of sensors, plus additional ones, depending upon local research the stations hope to support, and upon available funding. The basic suite of meteorological and air-based sensors measure air temperature, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and ultraviolet radiation (UVR). The basic suite of oceanographic sensors measure salinity, sea temperature, PAR (at 1m nominal) and UVR (at 1m nominal). In addition to these sensors, a data acquisition system gathers and averages the data, then transmits the hourly averages via a GOES satellite.
For NEXRAD stations: station ID, name, city, state, latitude, longitude, agency responsible, tower height, elevation, and URL. For WFO Zones: ID, state, WFO, agency responsible, name, availability, latitude, longitude, update frequency, wave height, weather, and URL. For Weather/Ocean Forecast Points: station ID, WMO ID, location, state, agency responsible, model type, update frequency, latitude, longitude, winds, air temperature, dew point, precipitation, relative humidity, mean sea level pressure, weather, snowfall, cloud cover, visibility, sea surface temperature, salinity, water level, currents, waves, sea sub-surface temperature, and URL. For Weather/Ocean Observation Points: internal station ID, NWS ID, CREX ID, WMO ID, agency responsible, type, availability, station name, state, latitude, longitude, elevation, depth, update frequency, anemometer height, winds, air temperature, dew point, precipitation, relative humidity, mean sea level pressure, solar radiation, weather, snowfall, cloud cover, visibility, sea surface temperature, salinity, water level, currents, waves, sea sub-surface temperature, and URL. For River Observations: station ID, USGS ID, agency responsible, location, state, availability, update frequency, elevation, latitude, longitude, gage height, streamflow, site description, and URL. For River Forecasts: internal station ID, NWS ID, USGS ID, agency responsible, river, location, state, update frequency, availability, latitude, longitude, RFC, WFO, forecast, USGS data, streamflow, gage height, and URLs.
<http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/etsurge/index.htm> <http://co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/CBOFS/index.shtml> <http://tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov/> <http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/op/welcome.html> <http://ndbc.noaa.gov/> <http://gpsmet.fsl.noaa.gov/jsp/index.jsp> <http://gyre.umeoce.maine.edu/> <http://marine.rutgers.edu/> <http://twister.sbs.ohio-state.edu> <http://www.cbos.org/> <http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt> <http://www.afws.net> <http://weather.noaa.gov/> <http://weather.gov> <http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/synop/products.shtml> <http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/jsp/index.jsp> <http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/> <ftp://polar.wwb.noaa.gov/pub/waves/latest_run/> <http://www.lishore.org> <http://www.mysound.uconn.edu/stationstat.html> <http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/upper/>
Background files of roads, hydrologic units, and water bodies were collected from the USGS. <http://www.nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html>
NOS' Coast Survey Development Laboratory is not an operational data facility. No warranties are expressed or implied regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided or linked to in the nowCOAST web portal. Users are cautioned to consider the provisional nature of the observations before using it for decision making. The user assumes the entire risk related to use of the data or any information. NOS disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will NOS be liable to you or to any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special exemplary damages or lost profit resulting from any use or misuse of the data or any information presented or linked to in the web portal. NOS reserves the right to suspend or discontinue this web portal, or portions thereof, at any time.
Observations/Data
Observations from mesonets should be considered experimental and not always reliable or accurate. NOAA does not own or operate any of the mesonet sites linked to on this web portal and is not responsible for site maintenance or data accuracy. The links to these mesonets on this web portal are provided as a convenience to the user and does not represent an endorsement of the station and/or mesonet or the observations. There are differences among and sometimes within mesonets in terms of sampling frequency, height of sensors, exposure, observing equipment, etc... This may account for some of the differences in observations when comparing data from nearby stations. If you have questions regarding a particular station or mesonet, please contact the organization responsible for that station or mesonet.
Forecast Guidance
NWS and NOS forecast guidance is computer model generated predictions from numerical- and/or statistical-based weather, oceanographic, or river models. Model forecast guidance is used for input into other numerical forecasts models and also by NOAA and private sector meteorologists, hydrologists, and oceanographers in generation of worded or gridded weather, river, and/or marine forecasts. Users should always consult final worded or gridded marine, weather, and/or river forecasts, warnings or advisories from local NWS Weather Forecast Offices for their particular activity or application.
Disclaimer for 'Weather/Ocean Obs' Selection
Observations from non-NOAA, DOD, or FAA stations should be considered experimental and not always reliable or accurate. The links to the other stations are provided as a convenience to the user and does not represent an endorsement by NOS of the station or its observations. The user assumes the entire risk related to use or misuse of the data.