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AIFS v2 fields are now visible on GribStream

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GribStream now exposes the newly available AIFS v2 selectors in AIFS Operational and AIFS Ensemble, including the 10 hPa stratospheric level and additional snow, cloud, soil, and geopotential fields.

ECMWF switched AIFS Single and AIFS ENS to v2 with the 2026-05-12 06 UTC run. GribStream follows those ECMWF open-data streams inside the existing datasets:

There is no new GribStream dataset code to adopt. Runs before the boundary remain the earlier AIFS versions; runs from 2026-05-12 06 UTC onward are v2.

What is now visible

We refreshed the AIFS inventories and catalog snapshot so the fields after the May 12 boundary are discoverable through the model pages and catalog API.

The most important v2 catalog change is the new 10 hPa pressure level. That gives AIFS users a higher stratospheric level for upper-air workflows:

  • in aifsoper: t, u, v, w, z, and gh at pl 10
  • in aifsenfo: t, u, v, w, and z at pl 10

We also exposed additional AIFS fields that are present in the ECMWF open-data indexes:

  • fscov: fraction of snow cover
  • mcc: medium cloud cover
  • cp: convective precipitation in AIFS Ensemble
  • vsw: volumetric soil water in AIFS Ensemble
  • gh: geopotential height in AIFS Operational
  • sf, skt, and slor in AIFS Operational

Some of those are true v2 additions in the ECMWF public open-data feed; others were already present in ECMWF's public files but were not yet exposed in the GribStream AIFS catalog. For customers, the practical result is the same: the selectors are now visible on the AIFS model pages and through the catalog endpoints.

Why this matters

AIFS v2 is not just a version label. ECMWF describes the v2 upgrade as part of the same May 12 implementation window as IFS Cycle 50r1, and the AIFS implementation pages call out the new 10 hPa level for both AIFS Single and AIFS ENS.

That matters for workflows that compare AI and physics-based guidance, especially around upper-air pattern checks, stratospheric diagnostics, ensemble spread, snow cover, cloud cover, and land-surface state. If your verification window crosses May 12, keep the 06 UTC boundary explicit.

The new selectors can be copied directly from:

Sources

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