NOUS41 KWBC 161345 PNSWSH Public Information Statement 26-30 National Weather Service Headquarters Silver Spring MD 945 AM EDT Thu Apr 16 2026 To: Subscribers: -NOAA Weather Wire Service -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network -NOAAPort Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees From: Jason Levit Branch Chief Verification, Post-Processing, and Product Generation NCEP/Environmental Modeling Center Subject: Soliciting Public Comments through May 16, 2026, on the Termination of Various Products from the Global Forecast System The NWS Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) is seeking comments until May 16, 2026, on the proposed termination of various products from the Global Forecast System. Version 17 of the Global Forecast System (GFS) is currently in active development and EMC has identified several legacy products that are slated to be removed when version 17 is implemented into real-time operations in the future. The list of GFS products proposed to be removed from the schedule of transmissions to external databases (NOMADS, SBN, etc.) in conjunction with the implementation of Version 17 are provided below: Post-processed GRIB2 files: - Synthetic nadir ABI GOES-R in following files: - gfs.t{CC}z.special.grib2f{FFF} - gfs.t{CC}z.goessimpgrb2.0p25.f{FFF} - gfs.t{CC}z.goessimpgrb2f{FFF}.grd221 These files are slated for removal to optimize GFS model runtime and reduce data dissemination to NOMADS and associated bandwidth requirements. - Time averages of the categorical precipitation Types with GRIB2 IDs CRAIN, CSNOW, CFRZR and CICEP in following files: - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2.LpLL.f{FFF} - Affected GRIB2 IDs are CRAIN, CSNOW, CFRZR and CICEP Currently, the operational GFS provides both instantaneous and time-averaged categorical precipitation type fields. However, categorical precipitation types are diagnostic indicators representing the dominant precipitation type at a given forecast time. Averaging these categorical flags over time does not produce physically meaningful information and may lead to user confusion or misinterpretation, so these products will be removed. Post-processed GRIB1 files: - WMO headers: [YZ][BCEFHOPRTUVWXY]Q[A-Z][0-9][0-9] KWBC - 6-hourly forecast products interpolated from the GRIB2 0.25 degrees pressure and surface levels to the CONUS Grid 211 and translated to the GRIB1 format GRIB1 is a deprecated data format, so all GRIB1 files will be removed. GFS v17 data will be available via the supported GRIB2 data format. A few wave buoy points: - Point outputs for buoys 44040, 44043, 44061, 51207, and 51210 will be removed from both the un-tarred directory bulls.t{CC}z/, and from the tarred files: - bulls.t{CC}z/gfswave.{BUOY}.bull - bulls.t{CC}z/gfswave.{BUOY}.cbull - bulls.t{CC}z/gfswave.{BUOY}.spec - gfswave.t{CC}z.bull_tar - gfswave.t{CC}z.cbull_tar - gfswave.t{CC}z.spec_tar.gz - Additionally these buoys will not be included in awipsbull.t{CC}z.gfswave These points are nearshore and do not fall in the computational domain, so they will be removed from the output data. NetCDF-based model history files: - gfs.t{CC}z.atmf{FFF}.nc - gfs.t{CC}z.sfcf{FFF}.nc - gdas.t{CC}z.atmf{FFF}.nc - gdas.t{CC}z.sfcf{FFF}.nc - Where CC represents the cycle hour (00, 06, 12, or 18 UTC), and FFF is the forecast hour. NetCDF-based analysis files: - gfs.t{CC}z.atmanl.nc - gfs.t{CC}z.sfcanl.nc - gdas.t{CC}z.atmanl.nc - gdas.t{CC}z.sfcanl.nc - Where CC represents the cycle hour (00, 06, 12, or 18 UTC). These NetCDF files are slated for removal to create space for new ocean and ice products and to accommodate the increase in atmospheric products following the addition of new fields. GRIB2 files at lower resolution: - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2.0p50.anl - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2.0p50.f{FFF} - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2b.0p50.anl - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2b.0p50.f{FFF} - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2full.0p50.f{FFF} - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2.1p00.anl - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2.1p00.f{FFF} - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2b.1p00.anl - gfs.t{CC}z.pgrb2b.1p00.f{FFF} - Where CC represents the cycle hour (00, 06, 12, or 18 UTC), and FFF is the forecast hour. - The corresponding index files with suffix .idx will also be removed. These GRIB2 products will be removed to create space for new ocean and ice products and to accommodate the increase in atmospheric products following the addition of new fields. Another reason is that the 0P25 pgrb2 files remain available and provide data at a higher resolution. NOMADS GRIB Filter for lower resolution including https://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/gribfilter.php?ds=gfs_0p50 https://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/filter_gfs_0p50.pl https://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/gribfilter.php?ds=gfs_1p00 https://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/filter_gfs_1p00.pl The NOMADS GRIB filer will subsequently no longer serve the lower resolution GRIB2 files when removed. To provide feedback regarding this change, please contact: Email: emc.products.feedback@noaa.gov Google Form: Soliciting Public Comments on the Proposed Termination of Various Products from the Global Forecast System at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfc4h_mCSCa5rDzgbvG4EMh WQ43hhpNwQQcQTVURmwQE50Q6A/viewform National Public Information Statements are online at: https://www.weather.gov/notification/