NGOFS2 - Galveston Bay

Notice of NOS OFS product changes

Effective on or about August 2024, the names of the model output files will officially be transitioned to the following format:

  • Stations: OFS.tCCz.YYYYMMDD.stations.[nowcast|forecast].nc
  • 2-D surface field output: OFS.tCCz.YYYYMMDD.2ds.[n|f]HHH.nc
  • 3-D field output: OFS.tCCz.YYYYMMDD.fields.[n|f]NNN.nc
  • 3-D field output on a regular grid: OFS.tCCz.YYYYMMDD.regulargrid.[n|f]NNN.nc
    • Where:
  • OFS refers to the name of the model (e.g. cbofs, sfbofs, leofs)
  • [nowcast/forecast] or [n/f] denotes either the nowcast or forecast results
  • YYYYMMDD refers to the date of the model run
  • CC refers to the cycle of the day (e.g. 06, 12)
  • HHH is the nowcast or forecast hour (e.g. 001, 002)

Starting April 1, 2024, model output files with both the existing and the new file formats will be made available here for users to update and test code used to automate the download of the model output. As August 2024 draws near, this notice will be updated with the exact date of the transition.

(Please click on the map pins below to access the time series plots)

On June 30, 2004, ship traffic in Galveston Bay, Texas, gained a new tool to assist in safe navigation. The NGOFS2 - Galveston Bay, created by NOAA's National Ocean Service, provides mariners, port managers and emergency response teams with present and future conditions of water levels, currents, temperature and salinity.

NGOFS2 - Galveston Bay "nowcast" (for present conditions) and "forecast" (for future conditions) products are generated by a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model that uses real-time and forecast data to predict this information at thousands of locations throughout Galveston Bay. The information NGOFS2 - Galveston Bay provides assists port managers and shippers in making decisions regarding maximum tonnage and passage times without compromising safety.

Disclaimer:
The Northern Gulf of Mexico Operational Forecast System (NGOFS2) has been implemented by NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) to provide the maritime user community with short-term predictions of water levels, water currents, water temperatures and salinity of the northern Gulf of Mexico. NGOFS2 uses a numerical hydrodynamic model to generate the nowcast and forecast information; therefore, they should be considered as model-generated nowcast and forecast guidance . For more detailed information related to the OFS disclaimer, please visit at the Disclaimers web page.

During extreme weather conditions, water level forecast guidance data are released for public utility and should be used with appropriate caution.