CFSR: Climate Forecast System Reanalysis

Page Summary

• The NOAA/CFSR dataset provides a global, high-resolution reanalysis and operational real-time forecast of the coupled atmosphere-ocean-land surface-sea ice system.

• Data is available from December 13, 2018, with forecasts initialized four times per day (0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 UTC) focusing on 0-hour and 3-hour forecasts in Earth Engine.

• The dataset includes numerous bands covering various climate and weather variables such as temperature, wind, precipitation, radiation, and soil moisture, with a pixel size of 55660 meters.

• Data is in the public domain and can be used without restriction, but proper citation of the provided reference is encouraged.

Dataset Availability

2018-12-13T00:00:00Z–2026-03-17T12:00:00Z

Dataset Producer

NOAA NWS National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)

Earth Engine Snippet

ee.ImageCollection("NOAA/CFSR")

Cadence

6 Hours

Tags

climate daylight flux forecast geophysical ncep noaa nws precipitation radiation snow temperature vapor water weather

Description

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) was designed and executed as a global, high-resolution, coupled atmosphere-ocean-land surface-sea ice system to provide the best estimate of the state of these coupled domains over the 32-year period of record from January 1979 to March 2011. It has been extended as an operational real-time product. The data in Earth Engine are only present starting from December 13, 2018.

Forecasts are initialized four times per day (0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 UTC). We ingest only a subset of bands from files matching cdas1.t??z.pgrbh**03|00**.grib2, i.e. files of only 0-hour and 3-hour forecasts as the others are omitted. The forecast length is indicated by the 'forecast_hour' metadata field.

Some images contain only a subset of bands. Using this dataset with both "00" and "03" forecast types will require you to cast the bands across the collection.

Bands

Bands

Pixel size: 55660 meters (all bands)

Name	Units	Min	Max	Pixel Size	Description
u-component_of_wind_hybrid	m/s	-47.24*	44.33*	55660 meters	u-component of wind at Hybrid level for 00 and 03 forecast
v-component_of_wind_hybrid	m/s	-45.45*	46.36*	55660 meters	v-component of wind at Hybrid level for 00 and 03 forecast
Albedo_surface_3_Hour_Average	%	0*	91.6*	55660 meters	Albedo 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Canopy_water_evaporation_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	746*	55660 meters	Canopy water evaporation 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Categorical_Rain_surface		0*	1*	55660 meters	Categorical Rain at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Categorical_Rain_surface_3_Hour_Average		0*	1*	55660 meters	Categorical Rain 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Categorical_Freezing_Rain_surface_3_Hour_Average		0*	1*	55660 meters	Categorical freezing rain 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Categorical_Ice_Pellets_surface_3_Hour_Average		0*	1*	55660 meters	Categorical ice pellets 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Categorical_Snow_surface_3_Hour_Average		0*	1*	55660 meters	Categorical snow 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Clear_Sky_Downward_Long_Wave_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	56*	483*	55660 meters	Clear Sky Downward Long Wave Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Clear_Sky_Downward_Solar_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	1142*	55660 meters	Clear Sky Downward Solar Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Clear_Sky_Upward_Long_Wave_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	78*	698*	55660 meters	Clear Sky Upward Long Wave Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Clear_Sky_Upward_Solar_Flux_atmosphere_top_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	767*	55660 meters	Clear Sky Upward Solar Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Clear_sky_UV-B_Downward_Solar_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	24.77*	55660 meters	Clear Sky UV-B Downward Solar Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Cloud_water_entire_atmosphere_single_layer	kg/m^2	0*	19*	55660 meters	Cloud water at entire atmosphere layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Cloud_Work_Function_entire_atmosphere_single_layer_3_Hour_Average	J/kg	0*	5791*	55660 meters	Cloud work function 3 hour average at entire atmosphere layer for 03 forecast
Convective_available_potential_energy_surface	J/kg	0*	6069*	55660 meters	Convective available potential energy at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Convective_available_potential_energy_pressure_difference_layer	J/kg	0*	5559*	55660 meters	Convective available potential energy at specified pressure difference from ground to level layer for 03 forecast
Convective_Precipitation_Rate_surface_3_Hour_Average	kg/m^2/s	0*	0.002*	55660 meters	Convective precipitation rate 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Convective_precipitation_surface_3_Hour_Accumulation	kg/m^2	0*	19.2*	55660 meters	Convective precipitation 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Direct_Evaporation_from_Bare_Soil_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	767*	55660 meters	Direct evaporation from bare soil surface 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Downward_Long-Wave_Radp_Flux_surface	W/m^2	60*	530*	55660 meters	Downward Long-Wave Rad. Flux at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Downward_Long-Wave_Radp_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	60*	508*	55660 meters	Downward Long-Wave Rad. Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Downward_Short-Wave_Radiation_Flux_surface	W/m^2	0*	1224*	55660 meters	Downward Short-Wave Radiation Flux at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Downward_Short-Wave_Radiation_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	1142*	55660 meters	Downward Short-Wave Radiation Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Downward_Short-Wave_Radiation_Flux_atmosphere_top_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	1382*	55660 meters	Downward Short-Wave Radiation Flux atmosphere top 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Exchange_Coefficient_surface	(kg/m^3)/(m/s)	0*	0.69*	55660 meters	Exchange Coefficient at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Frictional_Velocity_surface	m/s	0.002*	3.5*	55660 meters	Frictional Velocity at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Ground_Heat_Flux_surface	W/m^2	-459*	683*	55660 meters	Ground Heat Flux at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Ground_Heat_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	-170*	538*	55660 meters	Ground Heat Flux 4 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Ice_cover_surface	Area fraction	0*	1*	55660 meters	Ice cover at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Ice_thickness_surface	m	0*	4.76*	55660 meters	Ice thickness at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Land_cover_0__sea_1__land_surface		0*	1*	55660 meters	Land cover (0 = sea, 1 = land) at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Latent_heat_net_flux_surface	W/m^2	-399*	1675*	55660 meters	Latent heat net flux at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Latent_heat_net_flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	-305*	1250*	55660 meters	Latent heat net flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Liquid_Volumetric_Soil_Moisture_non_Frozen_depth_below_surface_layer_5_cm		0.03*	1*	55660 meters	Liquid Volumetric Soil Moisture (non Frozen) 5 cm depth below land surface layer
Liquid_Volumetric_Soil_Moisture_non_Frozen_depth_below_surface_layer_25_cm		0.028*	1*	55660 meters	Liquid Volumetric Soil Moisture (non Frozen) 25 cm depth below land surface layer
Liquid_Volumetric_Soil_Moisture_non_Frozen_depth_below_surface_layer_70_cm		0.028*	1*	55660 meters	Liquid Volumetric Soil Moisture (non Frozen) 50 cm depth below land surface layer
Liquid_Volumetric_Soil_Moisture_non_Frozen_depth_below_surface_layer_150_cm		0.028*	1*	55660 meters	Liquid Volumetric Soil Moisture (non Frozen) 150 cm depth below land surface layer
Maximum_temperature_height_above_ground_3_Hour_Interval	K	201.39*	327.7*	55660 meters	Maximum temperature for 3 Hour Interval at specified height level above ground for 03 forecast
Minimum_temperature_height_above_ground_3_Hour_Interval	K	201*	321.89*	55660 meters	Minimum temperature for 3 Hour Interval at specified height level above ground for 03 forecast
Maximum_specific_humidity_at_2m_height_above_ground_3_Hour_Interval	Mass fraction	0*	0.036*	55660 meters	Maximum specific humidity for 3 Hour Interval at 2m specified height level above ground for 03 forecast
Minimum_specific_humidity_at_2m_height_above_ground_3_Hour_Interval	Mass fraction	0*	0.024*	55660 meters	Minimum specific humidity for 3 Hour Interval at 2m specified height level above ground for 03 forecast
Momentum_flux_u-component_surface_3_Hour_Average	N/m^2	-6.56*	8.25*	55660 meters	Momentum flux, u-component 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Momentum_flux_v-component_surface_3_Hour_Average	N/m^2	-6.17*	7.22*	55660 meters	Momentum flux, u-component 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Plant_Canopy_Surface_Water_surface	kg/m^2	0*	0.5*	55660 meters	Plant Canopy Surface Water at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Planetary_Boundary_Layer_Height_surface	m	17*	6590*	55660 meters	Planetary Boundary Layer Height at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Potential_Evaporation_Rate_surface	W/m^2	-150*	5617*	55660 meters	Potential Evaporation Rate at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Potential_Evaporation_Rate_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	-120*	5263*	55660 meters	Potential Evaporation Rate 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Precipitation_rate_surface_3_Hour_Average	kg/m^2/s	0*	0.022*	55660 meters	Precipitable rate 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Precipitable_water_entire_atmosphere_single_layer	kg/m^2	-0.6*	99.09*	55660 meters	Precipitable water at entire atmosphere layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Precipitable_water_pressure_difference_layer	kg/m^2	0*	7.94*	55660 meters	Precipitable water at specified pressure difference from ground to level layer for 00 forecast
Pressure_msl	Pa	92406.4*	106908*	55660 meters	Pressure at Mean sea level for 03 forecast
Pressure_reduced_to_MSL_msl	Pa	92492.8*	106668*	55660 meters	Pressure reduced to MSL at Mean sea level for 00 and 03 forecast
Pressure_surface	Pa	48110*	105600*	55660 meters	Pressure at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Relative_humidity_entire_atmosphere_single_layer	%	0*	96*	55660 meters	Relative humidity at entire atmosphere layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Sensible_heat_net_flux_surface	W/m^2	-1582*	2500*	55660 meters	Sensible heat net flux at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Sensible_heat_net_flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	-977*	1202*	55660 meters	Sensible heat net flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Snow_Cover_surface_3_Hour_Average	%	0*	100*	55660 meters	Snow cover 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Snow_depth_surface	m	0*	4.55*	55660 meters	Snow depth at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Snow_Phase_Change_Heat_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	-405*	911*	55660 meters	Snow phase change hear flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Soil_moisture_content_depth_below_surface_layer	kg/m^2	62.01*	2000.05*	55660 meters	Soil moisture content at Depth below land surface layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Soil_type_surface		1*	9*	55660 meters	Soil type at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Storm_Surface_Runoff_surface_3_Hour_Accumulation	kg/m^2	0*	193.12*	55660 meters	Storm surface runoff 3 hour accumulation at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Sublimation_evaporation_from_snow_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	742*	55660 meters	Sublimation (evaporation from snow) 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Specific_humidity_height_above_ground	Mass fraction	0.001*	0.036*	55660 meters	Specific humidity at Specified height level above ground for 00 forecast
Surface_Lifted_Index_surface	K	-15.8*	57.2*	55660 meters	Surface Lifted Index at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Surface_roughness_surface	m	0*	2.7*	55660 meters	Surface roughness at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Surface_Slope_Type_surface	index	1*	9*	55660 meters	Surface Slope Type at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Temperature_depth_below_surface_layer_5_cm	K	219.127*	323.104*	55660 meters	Temperature 5cm depth below land surface layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Temperature_depth_below_surface_layer_25_cm	K	220.288*	313.299*	55660 meters	Temperature 25cm epth below land surface layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Temperature_depth_below_surface_layer_70_cm	K	218.704*	310.007*	55660 meters	Temperature 70 cm depth below land surface layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Temperature_depth_below_surface_layer_150_cm	K	218.925*	307.662*	55660 meters	Temperature 150cm depth below land surface layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Temperature_height_above_ground	K	201.17*	325.763*	55660 meters	Temperature at Specified height level above ground for 00 forecast
Temperature_surface	K	192.569*	339.173*	55660 meters	Temperature at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Total_cloud_cover_convective_cloud	%	0*	100*	55660 meters	Total cloud cover at Convective cloud layer for 00 forecast
Total_ozone_entire_atmosphere_single_layer	Dobson	177*	571.4*	55660 meters	Total ozone at entire atmosphere layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Total_precipitation_surface_3_Hour_Accumulation	kg/m^2	0*	239*	55660 meters	Total precipitation 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Transpiration_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	680*	55660 meters	Transpiration surface 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Upward_Long-Wave_Radp_Flux_surface	W/m^2	135*	611*	55660 meters	Upward Long-Wave Rad. Flux at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Upward_Long-Wave_Radp_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	78*	703*	55660 meters	Upward Long-Wave Radiation Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Upward_Long-Wave_Radp_Flux_atmosphere_top_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	69*	384*	55660 meters	Upward Long-Wave Radiation Flux 3 hour average at nominal top of the atmosphere for 03 forecast
Upward_Short-Wave_Radiation_Flux_surface	W/m^2	0*	869*	55660 meters	Upward Short-Wave Radiation Flux at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Upward_Short-Wave_Radiation_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	806*	55660 meters	Upward Short-Wave Radiation Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Upward_Short-Wave_Radiation_Flux_atmosphere_top_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	1049*	55660 meters	Upward Short-Wave Radiation Flux 3 hour average at nominal top of the atmosphere for 03 forecast
UV-B_Downward_Solar_Flux_surface_3_Hour_Average	W/m^2	0*	24.7*	55660 meters	UV-B Downward Solar Flux 3 hour average at ground or water surface for 03 forecast
Vegetation_surface	%	0*	99*	55660 meters	Vegetation at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Vegetation_Type_surface		1*	13*	55660 meters	Vegetation Type at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Volumetric_Soil_Moisture_Content_depth_below_surface_layer_5_cm	Fraction	0.03*	1*	55660 meters	Volumetric soil moisture content 5cm below surface layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Volumetric_Soil_Moisture_Content_depth_below_surface_layer_25_cm	Fraction	0.028*	1*	55660 meters	Volumetric soil moisture content 25cm below surface layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Volumetric_Soil_Moisture_Content_depth_below_surface_layer_70_cm	Fraction	0.028*	1*	55660 meters	Volumetric soil moisture content 70cm below surface layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Volumetric_Soil_Moisture_Content_depth_below_surface_layer_150_cm	Fraction	0.028*	1*	55660 meters	Volumetric soil moisture content 150cm below surface layer for 00 and 03 forecast
Water_equivalent_of_accumulated_snow_depth_surface	kg/m^2	0*	458.82*	55660 meters	Water equivalent of accumulated snow depth at ground or water surface for 00 and 03 forecast
Water_runoff_surface_3_Hour_Accumulation	kg/m^2	0*	193.12*	55660 meters	Water runoff 3 hour accumulation at ground or water surface for 03 forecast

* estimated min or max value

Image Properties

Image Properties

Name	Type	Description
forecast_hour	INT	Duration of forecast in hours

Terms of Use

Terms of Use

NOAA data, information, and products, regardless of the method of delivery, are not subject to copyright and carry no restrictions on their subsequent use by the public. Once obtained, they may be put to any lawful use. The forgoing data is in the public domain and is being provided without restriction on use and distribution. For more information visit the NWS disclaimer site.

Citations

Citations:

• Saha, S., S. Moorthi, H. Pan, X. Wu, J. Wang, and Coauthors, 2010: The NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 91, 1015-1057. doi:10.1175/2010BAMS3001.1

DOIs

• https://doi.org/10.5065/D6513W89

Explore with Earth Engine

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Code Editor (JavaScript)

var dataset = ee.ImageCollection('NOAA/CFSR')
                  .filter(ee.Filter.date('2019-04-01', '2019-04-07'));
var temperatureSurface = dataset.select('Temperature_surface');
var visParams = {
  min: 192,
  max: 339,
  palette: ['blue', 'purple', 'cyan', 'green', 'yellow', 'red']
};

var soilType = dataset.select('Soil_type_surface');
var soilTypeVisParams = {
  min: 1,
  max: 9,
  palette: [
    'red', 'orange', 'blue', 'yellow', 'violet',
    'magenta', 'cadetblue', 'pink', 'aquamarine',]
}
Map.addLayer(
    soilType, soilTypeVisParams, 'Soil type at the surface', true, 0.6);
Map.addLayer(
    temperatureSurface, visParams, 'Temperature at surface (K)', true, 0.6);

Map.setCenter(-88.6, 26.4, 2);

Open in Code Editor

CFSR: Climate Forecast System Reanalysis

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) was designed and executed as a global, high-resolution, coupled atmosphere-ocean-land surface-sea ice system to provide the best estimate of the state of these coupled domains over the 32-year period of record from January 1979 to March 2011. It …

NOAA/CFSR, climate,daylight,flux,forecast,geophysical,ncep,noaa,nws,precipitation,radiation,snow,temperature,vapor,water,weather

2018-12-13T00:00:00Z/2026-03-17T12:00:00Z

-90 -180 90 180

Google Earth Engine

https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets

• https://doi.org/10.5065/D6513W89
• https://doi.org/10.5065/D6513W89