The charts come as e-mail attachments, NOAA Coastwatch Caribbean Node
with file sizes averaging 35KB. Check your e-
This site includes an interactive chart
mail system for restrictions on attachments,
viewer that allows you to select the area and
file sizes, and costs for download time. In-
types of data you wish to access. Current di-
marsat users are likely to find this system
rection, speed, temperature, and sea height
very expensive. The charts come in a com-
anomaly are included.
pressed T4(G4) format enveloped in TIF for
http://cwcaribbean.aoml.noaa.gov/data.html
viewing. You will need a graphics program
capable of displaying TIF files.
NOAA Current Forecasts
An 8Kb text file describing the system in
These are generated by NOAA’s Regional
detail can be obtained from the system by
Ocean Forecast System, which incorporates
sending an e-mail to ftpmail@weather.noaa.
a wealth of different NOAA data to generate
gov. The body of the e-mail is case-sensitive
24-hour and 48-hour forecasts of the Gulf
and should contain only the following: help
Stream.
The help file is also available online at:
http://polar.ncep.noaa.gov/cofs/
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/ftpmail.txt
Johns Hopkins University
Canadian Service: Environment Canada,
Applied Physics Lab
the Canadian weather service, offers fore-
Infrared satellite imagery depicting sur-
casts by e-mail on a scheduled basis. You
face water temperatures are available on the
can choose the area you want, the type of
Johns Hopkins Website. Because these are
forecast, and the frequency of distribution.
not computer models, the images include
For more information, visit their Website
cloud cover that can obscure the image.
and click the link for “Email weather” (www.
http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/avhrr/gs/index.html
weatheroffice.pyr.ec.gc.ca/).
Online Gulf Stream Charts: Most of the
Weather Routing
agencies generating imagery, analysis and You can hire a professional router to pro-
predictions of the Gulf Stream post their vide weather analyses/forecasts and charts
output online. Below are some of the most from private and government sources. Rout-
r
valuable sites for obtaining information. ers not only interpret the weather, but also
Naval Atlantic Meteorology and
project the most efficient track for a vessel
based on weather and the vessel’s character-
e
athe
Oceanography Center
istics. Here is a partial list of weather routers:
W
The NLMOC produces several of the
Locus Weather/Ken McKinley
easiest to read analyses of the Gulf Stream.
(www.locusweather.com);
These are temperature contours with color
Commanders’ Weather Corporation
overlays. Eddies are specifically identified
r
(www.commandersweather.com);
(WE, CE) as is the general outline of the
Susan Genet’s Real Weather
Stream (GS), and its speed.
(www.realwx.com)
https://www.navo.navy.mil/LIBRARY/
e
athe
Jenifer Clark’s Gulf Stream Analysis
Metoc/Atlantic/Regional+NATL/SATANAL/
(http://users.erols.com/gulfstrm/) t W
OFA/Color+Composite/index.html
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