Generate soundings from MAPS or RUC Analyses and Forecasts, RAOBS, Profilers, Radiometers, or Aircraft (restricted)

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Generally, model analyses are available for the past 16 hours, and forecasts are available for various hours (other window). The time at which forecasts become available is somewhat unpredictable, because the models run as soon as files are available, in order to produce results as soon as possible.

The java plot page allows you to subsequently select additional data sources, times and locations.

The new URL for this page is http://rucsoundings.noaa.gov/
The new URL for non-java soundings is http://rucsoundings.noaa.gov/gifs/
(The old URLs will continue to work for the forseeable future.)

Latest version: 12-February-2008. Op20 data are now read from grib2 files. (Unfortunately, this is slower than reading from the old grib files.) See change details for information.

Effective 23-Feb-2006, for Bak20, dev, and dev2 analyses, and 1, 3, 6, 9h forecasts at 0 and 12 UTC, archival soundings (since 23 Feb 2006) are available for these RAOB sites. Also, for dev and dev2 analyses, archival soundings (back 60 days) are available for these airports. For more details see change details.

Latest Bak40 analysis is valid at 11:00 UTC.
Latest Op40 analysis is valid at 11:00 UTC.
For up-to-date information about the status of RUC runs, see the RUC forum (new window).
(You can subscribe to this forum to get email copies of new posts.)
Select a time range and location:
Initial data source:
How to choose
a data source.
(other window) 		Op40 (NCEP 13km RUC on 40km grid, formerly "RUC2") or
Bak40 (Backup 13km RUC on 40km grid, formerly "MAPS") or
GFS (On 0.5 deg grid) or Dev1320 (Dev13 on 20 km grid) or
Op20 (NCEP 13km RUC on 20km grid) or Bak20 (Backup 13km RUC on 20km grid)
dev (no TAMDAR, 20km) or dev2 (with TAMDAR, 20km) or
RAOBs or Profilers or Radiometers or Aircraft (restricted) or
RETRO (special restores) or CIMSS (special RAOBs)
Start Time: Latest, or - : UTC
Number of hours:
Name(s), "lat,lon",
or RAOB-WMO-ID(s):
Site(s):
Site info: METARs, Airports, Profilers, Radiometers,
RAOB locations, latest RAOB times.
(Explanation of GSD format.)
For information on interpreting these soundings, please see the following:
  		• The NWS Publication The Front from Feb 2004. (The web site has been updated a bit from what is shown in the article, but this is an excellent reference for pilots nonetheless.)
  		• Tutorial on upper air plots from UNISYS
  		• Tutorial from Texas A & M

    We reserve the right to deny access to any individual or organization that we determine is abusing this service. Examples of abuse include automated transfers resulting in excessive data requests (because it hinders others from accessing the service) and attempting to gain access to documents and host machines not intended for public use.

    Page developed by Bill Moninger
    MAPS data provided by Stan Benjamin and Kevin Brundage,
    Profiler data provided by GSD's Demonstration Division,
    Radiometer data provided by Radiometrics
    RAOB data provided by Mark Govett
    Last modified: Fri Apr 18 15:39:44 DST 2008