POWERTOOLS

Current Weather

• North Pacific Powerview
  (Includes:  Northeast Pacific Infrared Satellite Image (from GOES-10 satellite), West Pacific GMS-5 Infrared Image, GOES-10 Infrared Satellite Image with AVN Model Surface Pressure and Wind Overlay, Northern Hemisphere MRF Surface Pressure and 500 mb Model, Pacific AVN Model Surface Level Pressure (SLP) Projection, Conus ETA Model Surface Level Pressure (SLP) and Winds, QuikSCAT Winds Ascending & Descending, Pacific Ocean WW3 Wave Heights & Period, Alaskan Region WW3 Sea Heights & Period, North Pacific WW3 Sea Heights & Period, Northwest Pacific WW3 Sea Heights & Period, Northeast Pacific WW3 Sea Heights & Period
• South Pacific Powerview
  (Includes:  Full Pacific Ocean Infrared Satellite Image (from GOES-10 satellite), West Pacific GMS-5 Infrared Image, Composite Antartic Infrared Satellite Image, Composite Antartic Infrared Satellite Image with AVN Pressure and Winds Overlay, Pacific Ocean AVN Model Surface Level Pressure (SLP) Projection, QuikSCAT Winds Ascending & Descending, Pacific Ocean WW3 Sea Heights & Period, SW Pacific WW3 Sea Heights & Period, SE Pacific WW3 Sea Heights & Period
• Detailed QuikSCAT Winds for the North Pacific
  Ascending Orbit Powerview
  Descending Orbit Powerview
• Detailed QuikSCAT Winds for the South Pacific
  Ascending Orbit Powerview
  Descending Orbit Powerview
• Detailed QuickSCAT Winds for the Tropical East Pacific
  Ascending Orbit Powerview
  Descending Orbit Powerview
• Detailed QuickSCAT Winds for the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) area of the Tropical Pacific
  Ascending Orbit Powerview
  Descending Orbit Powerview
• JASON/ERS-2 North Pacific Sea Height Altimetry Powerview
• JASON/ERS-2 Southwest Pacific Sea Height Altimetry Powerview

 

SATELLITE IMAGERY

North Pacific

• North Pacific GOES-10 IR Satellite Photo with AVN Pressure and Wind Overlay (SOEST) Great starting place for current North Pacific overview. Other images and model overlays from SOEST can be found here.
• Pacific GOES-10 and GMS-5 Satellite Images with NOGAPS Overlays (NRL) Another good starting place for current North Pacific SLP and surface winds.
• GOES-10 Infrared NE Pacific View with 12 hour archive and time-lapse loop (Purdue). Small version of above link without surface pressure overlay.
• Full North Pacific Infrared Image with 12 hour archive and time-lapse loop (Purdue)  Moderate size composite from the GMS-5 and GOES-10 satellites with grid lines.
• Stitched and Colorized Full North Pacific Infrared image (NRL) Beautiful image
• Northern Cal Visible Sat Image With Wind Observation (SFSU) Good for seeing current fog and approaching front conditions.
• San Francisco Bay Area Visible Image with Winds (SFSU) Basically same as above just closer view
• Full North Pacific Ocean time-lapse Java movie.  Very good! (CIMSS SSEC)
• GMS-5 IR Satellite (West Pacific) (NRL) Good for seeing what's happening across the dateline and in the South Pacific.
• GMS-5 IR Satellite Image North West Pacific (CIMSS SSEC)

South Pacific

• Polar View Infrared Image (SSEC)
• Polar View Infrared Image (alt image) (NESDIS)
• Full Globe GOES-10 Infrared Image (NRL)
• Full Globe GMS-5 Infared Image (NRL) Aimed more at the Northern Hemisphere.
• Australia Continential Infrared Image (Bureau of Meteorology/Japan Meteorological Agency) Has some reasonable southern hemi coverage.

 

WEATHER OBSERVATIONS and TIDES

• Latest 3 hr Coastal Observation (NOAA) Summary of buoy readings and local wind readings for Northern and Central CA as read on NOAA Weather Radio (includes Pillar Point).
• Fort Funston Wind Report Realtime wind speed, direction and temp on the cliff between Ocean Beach and Pacifica Pier (San Francisco).  Updates every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day.  Also Web Cam with limited Ocean view. 
• Streaklines for the San Francisco Bay Area, Wind Observations for Bay Area and Wind Pattern for Bay Area (USGS) Use for determining coastal winds. Streaklines data takes about 30 secs to 1 minute to appear in the applet window after the page is loaded. Very accurate.
• Global Tides, Half Moon Bay Tides (University of S. Carolina)

 

SATELLITE OBSERVED WAVES (ERS-2) and MODELED IMAGERY

• North Pacific JASON/ERS-2 Sea Heights 00Z, 06Z, 12Z, 18Z Confirmed sea height readings (in ft) from the JASON/ERS-2 satellite overlayed on FNMOC Wave Models (NPMOC)
• South Pacific JASON/ERS-2 Sea Heights 00Z, 06Z, 12Z, 18Z Confirmed sea height readings (in ft) from the JASON/ERS-2 satellite overlayed on FNMOC Wave Models (NPMOC)
• 00hr Pacific Ocean Sea Height and Period (NOAA OMB) This is a good source to verify seas heights within a storm and to observe approaching swell fronts. Seas heights and period/swell fronts are modeled using the Wavewatch III Wave Model driven by the AVN atmopsheric model. (Note: Heights are in meters. Multiply readings times 3.28084 to convert to feet. Data updated 2 times daily).
• 00hr North Pacific Sea Height and Period (NOAA OMB)
• 00hr Alaskan Waters Sea Height and Period (NOAA OMB)
• 00hr North Pacific Ocean Sea Height and Period (Scripps Research Institute) Driven by the Wavewatch III Wave Model and the AVN Atmospheric Model.
• 00hr Northwest Pacific Ocean Sea Height and Period (Scripps Research Institute)
• 00hr Northeast Pacific 00hr Sea Height and Period (Scripps Research Institute)
• 00hr Southwest Pacific 00hr Sea Height and Period (Scripps Research Institute)
• 00hr Southeast Pacific 00hr Sea Height and Period (Scripps Research Institute)
• 00hr Pacific Central America/Mexico Sea Height and Period (Scripps Research Institute)
• TOPEX/POSEIDON Satellite Global Sea Heights (NASA Jet Propulsion Lab). Select any of the OSDD images.
• Oceanweather Inc. A variety of modeled images.

 

SATELLITE OBSERVED WINDS (QuikSCAT, ERS-2 & SSM/I)

• QuikSCAT Winds (OPPT) Total global ocean coverage.  The images depict wind speed.  Click on any part of the image for a close-up view with wind barbs (speed and direction).
• QuikSCAT Winds (NASA)  The latest surface wind analysis technology.  A great operational tool. Select from any options of the left of the page, both still and animation.
• Backup SSMI Link from NESDIS (West Pacific) (East Pacific) Wind speed only. No winds direction.
• SSM/I Winds (OPPT) Same as above but no wind barbs
• SSM/I Winds for NE Pacific (NOAA) This is a desperation backup link in case all others are unavailable