Global Models
Among global weather models, best at:
May underestimate local effects
Specs:
- Wind speed, temperature, precipitation forecasts
- Predicting when severe weather will arrive
May underestimate local effects
Specs:
- ~14 km resolution
- Updates every 12 hours
- Forecast up to 10 days
- Developed by the ECMWF
Among global weather models, best at:
Less details in rapidly changing conditions or complex landscapes
Specs:
- Forecasts over oceans and flat terrain
- Long-term forecasts
Less details in rapidly changing conditions or complex landscapes
Specs:
- ~27 km resolution
- Updates every 6 hours
- Forecast up to 10 days
- Developed by NOAA
Among global weather models, best at:
May over- or underestimate values on calm days
Specs:
- Forecasting coastal and mountainous effects
- Predicting extreme wind speed and temperatures
May over- or underestimate values on calm days
Specs:
- ~13 km resolution
- Updates every 12 hours
- Forecast up to 7.5 days
- Developed by DWD (German Weather Service)
Among global weather models, best at:
“Feels-like” coastal wind for watersports
Limitations:
May overestimate wind speed at calm conditions
Specs:
“Feels-like” coastal wind for watersports
Limitations:
May overestimate wind speed at calm conditions
Specs:
- ~27 km resolution
- Updates every 6 hours
- Forecast up to 10 days
- Developed by NOAA, adjusted by Windy.app team
Among global weather models, best at:
Channeling and coastal wind effects
Limitations:
Actively evolving model, refinements are still being made
Specs:
Channeling and coastal wind effects
Limitations:
Actively evolving model, refinements are still being made
Specs:
- ~3 km resolution
- Updates every 6 hours
- Forecast up to 10 days
- Developed by Windy.app team
Local Models for North America
Best for:
May add occasional wind patches over flat terrain
Specs:
- Showers, rain and lake-effect snow
- Squalls and other gusty winds
- Breezes, valley & mountain winds
May add occasional wind patches over flat terrain
Specs:
- 3 km (1.9 mi) resolution
- Updates hourly
- Forecast up to 36 hours
- Developed by NOAA
Best for:
- Stable weather days (no fast-changing storms)
- Open areas away from mountains and coasts
- May underestimate local effects (terrain, coastlines)
- Less reliable for showers
- 12 km (7.5 mi) resolution
- Updates every 12 hours
- Forecast up to 61 hours
- Developed by NOAA
Best for:
Less reliable for showers
Specs:
- Coastal and open-water winds
- Channeling winds
- Breezes, valley & mountain winds
Less reliable for showers
Specs:
- 2.5 km resolution
- Updates every 6 hours
- Forecast up to 48 hours
- Developed by Meteorological Service of Canada
Local Models for Europe
Best for:
May underestimate local winds (breezes, terrain effects)
Specs:
- Planning several days ahead
- Flat terrain away from coasts
- Areas without a better local model
May underestimate local winds (breezes, terrain effects)
Specs:
- 7 km resolution
- Updates every 6 hours
- Forecasts up to 5 days
- Developed by DWD (German Weather Service)
Best for:
For thunderstorms a few hours ahead, the exact location may shift
Specs:
- Breezes, valley & mountain winds
- Mistral and Atlantic fronts
- Showers and squalls
For thunderstorms a few hours ahead, the exact location may shift
Specs:
- 1.25 km resolution
- Updates 5 times per day
- Forecast up to 42 hours
- Developed by Meteo France
Best for:
May overestimate heavy rain intensity in storms
Specs:
- Mountainous areas (foehns and valley breezes)
- Coastal winds
- Rain and showers
May overestimate heavy rain intensity in storms
Specs:
- 2.2 km resolution
- Updates every 3 hours
- Forecast up to 27 hours
- Developed by DWD (German Weather Service)
Best for:
In quick-changing storms, timing and strength may be off at times
Specs:
- Coastal and open-water winds
- Rain forecasts
In quick-changing storms, timing and strength may be off at times
Specs:
- 2 km resolution
- Updates every 3 hours
- Forecast up to 54 hours
- Developed by Met Office
Best for:
May underestimate breezes and local winds
Specs:
- Open-water areas
- 3-5 days route planning
May underestimate breezes and local winds
Specs:
- 12 km resolution
- Updates every 3 hours
- Forecast up to 5 days
- Developed by National Observatory of Athens, Greece
Best for:
May be less reliable for local details in rapidly changing weather
Specs:
- Cross-checking wind forecasts
- Short-range wind details
May be less reliable for local details in rapidly changing weather
Specs:
- 4 km resolution
- Updates every 3 hours
- Forecast up to 2 days
- WRF-based community model
Local Models for Tropics and Australia
Best for:
Only available for parts of Australia
Specs:
- Breezes and other coastal winds
- Cyclone timing and strength
- Showers and squalls
Only available for parts of Australia
Specs:
- 1.5 km resolution
- Updates every 6 hours
- Forecast up to 36 hours
- Developed by the Bureau of Meteorology
Best for:
Caribbean, Madagascar, Réunion, Mauritius, French Guiana.
Limitations:
Best for local tropical weather — use global models for large-scale systems and longer forecasts.
Specs:
- Tropical downpours and thunderstorms
- Fast-changing coastal winds
- Island and marine conditions
Caribbean, Madagascar, Réunion, Mauritius, French Guiana.
Limitations:
Best for local tropical weather — use global models for large-scale systems and longer forecasts.
Specs:
- High-resolution tropical forecast model
- Forecast up to 42 hours
- Frequent updates
- Developed by Météo-France
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