WeatherNext 3 forecast predictions are available across multiple Google Cloud surfaces, including **Google Cloud Storage (Zarr v3)** , **Google Earth Engine** , and **Google BigQuery**. Follow these steps to request access, choose the best surface for your workflow, and run your first query. > [!NOTE] > WeatherNext predictions are provided "as-is" for informational purposes and > are not official severe weather warnings. Always defer to official alerts from > local emergency authorities. For more details, see the > [Terms of Service and > Disclaimers](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/disclaimers). *** ** * ** *** ## Step 1: Request data access WeatherNext real-time operational datasets are accessible upon request. Submit the access form with your Google Cloud account or service account email to be added to the allowlist: > [!NOTE] > **Observational datasets:** Looking for > [PARDIG](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/pardig.md.txt) (15-minute global precipitation > estimates) or [SatWeave](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/satweave.md.txt) (hourly > geostationary satellite mosaics)? Both observational datasets are publicly > accessible under CC BY 4.0 and don't require submitting a data access request > form. ### WeatherNext Data Request Form Requests are reviewed on a rolling basis and are typically approved within **5--7 business days**. [Open Data Request Form →](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCf1JY8G78UDWzbm0ly9kJxfSjUIJT5WyMR_HiNqCm-IHIBg/viewform) ### Account requirements \& FAQs - **What email address should I provide on the form?** Provide the email address associated with your Google Account (such as your company Google Workspace email or personal `@gmail.com`) that you use to log into Google Cloud Console, BigQuery, or Earth Engine. Google Cloud service account emails (`...@.iam.gserviceaccount.com`) are also accepted for automated workloads and pipelines. - **Do I need an existing paid Google Cloud contract?** No. Anyone with a Google Account, including researchers, students, and non-Google Cloud customers can access the data. If you don't have a Google Cloud account yet, you can [create a free Google Cloud account](https://cloud.google.com/free) in a few minutes. - **Do I need to submit separate requests for each platform?** No. Once your Google Account is added to the allow list, you receive access to WeatherNext across Google Cloud Storage, BigQuery, and Earth Engine simultaneously. - **What terms and licensing apply to the data?** Real-time data (any data that relates to a time less than 1 hour ago and the future) is governed by the [GDM Real-Time Weather Forecasting Experimental Data Terms of Use](https://storage.googleapis.com/weathernext-public/terms-of-use.pdf). Historical data (any data that relates to a time 1 hour ago or more) is licensed under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). For more details, see [Terms of Service and Disclaimers](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/disclaimers.md.txt). *** ** * ** *** ## Step 2: Choose your surface Select the platform that matches your tooling, language preference, and data resolution needs: | Surface | Best For | Data Scope | Tooling | Documentation | | [Google Cloud Storage (Zarr)](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/gcs.md.txt) | Direct programmatic file access, high performance computing, custom ML models, and raw data extraction. | **Full fidelity \& summary statistics:** Raw 64-member ensemble with 3D atmospheric pressure levels in `gs://weathernext3_spatial/`, and precomputed surface summary statistics in `gs://weathernext3_statistics_spatial/`. | Python (`xarray`, `zarr`, `obstore`) | [GCS (Zarr) Guide](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/gcs.md.txt) | | [Earth Engine](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/earth-engine.md.txt) | Planetary-scale geospatial analysis, raster overlays, satellite data fusion, and interactive web mapping. | **Surface statistics:** Precomputed mean and percentiles across 0.1° gridded (`weathernext_3_0_0_0p1deg`) and 0.05° station (`weathernext_3_0_0_0p05deg`) collections. | Python (`ee`, `geemap`), JavaScript | [Earth Engine Guide](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/earth-engine.md.txt) | | [BigQuery](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/bigquery.md.txt) | SQL-based analytics, joining weather forecasts with enterprise business datasets (stores, assets, supply chain). | **Surface statistics:** Precomputed mean and percentiles across 0.1° gridded (`weathernext_3_0_0_0p1deg`) and 0.05° station (`weathernext_3_0_0_0p05deg`) tables. | SQL, BigQuery GIS, Looker, DataFrames | [BigQuery Guide](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/bigquery.md.txt) | |---|---|---|---|---| *** ** * ** *** ## Step 3: Run your first query Explore interactive Colab notebooks with end-to-end sample code and visualization tutorials: - **Google Cloud Storage:** - [WeatherNext 3 Starter Guide - Zarr (Spatial - Full Ensemble) on Google Cloud Storage](https://storage.googleapis.com/weathernext-public/colabs/WeatherNext_3_Starter_Guide_Zarr_Spatial_Full_Ensemble_on_Google_Cloud_Storage.ipynb) - [WeatherNext 3 Starter Guide - Zarr (Spatial - Statistics) on Google Cloud Storage](https://storage.googleapis.com/weathernext-public/colabs/WeatherNext_3_Starter_Guide_Zarr_Spatial_Statistics_on_Google_Cloud_Storage.ipynb) - **Earth Engine:** - [WeatherNext 3 Starter Guide - Earth Engine (0.1°)](https://storage.googleapis.com/weathernext-public/colabs/WeatherNext_3_Starter_Guide_Earth_Engine_0p1deg.ipynb) - [WeatherNext 3 Starter Guide - Earth Engine (0.05°)](https://storage.googleapis.com/weathernext-public/colabs/WeatherNext_3_Starter_Guide_Earth_Engine_0p05deg.ipynb) - **BigQuery:** - [WeatherNext 3 Starter Guide - BigQuery (0.1°)](https://storage.googleapis.com/weathernext-public/colabs/WeatherNext_3_Starter_Guide_BigQuery_0p1deg.ipynb) - [WeatherNext 3 Starter Guide - BigQuery (0.05°)](https://storage.googleapis.com/weathernext-public/colabs/WeatherNext_3_Starter_Guide_BigQuery_0p05deg.ipynb) *** ** * ** *** ## Additional resources - [Terms of Service and Disclaimers](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/disclaimers.md.txt): Licensing terms and experimental forecast disclaimers. - [Dissemination Schedule](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/dissemination.md.txt): Information on forecast generation frequency, update times, and data availability latency. - [Model Deprecation](https://developers.google.com/weathernext/guides/deprecation.md.txt): Migration details for users transitioning from previous-generation models (WeatherNext 2, Gen, and Graph).