NBM Wind Field Explorer

Visualize the gridded surface wind field across the lower forty eight states. The map updates with every new model cycle so you can follow developing wind events in near real time.

What the map displays

• A regular degree grid shows wind speed in meters per second and wind direction.
• Arrow icons point toward the direction that the wind is blowing while their size scales with wind speed, making strong gust corridors easy to spot.
• A time slider covers forty eight forecast hours, letting you step forward or backward to watch fronts, low pressure systems, and jet streaks sweep across the country.

Understanding the variables

WIND (10 m above ground)

The WIND parameter reports the scalar speed of the air at ten meters above the surface, a standard reference height for surface observations and renewable energy planning.

WDIR (10 m above ground)

WDIR gives the direction from which the wind is blowing, expressed in degrees clockwise from north. A value of ninety means wind is coming from the east. The query below rotates the angle 180° because the grafana dashboard expects the angle to be the direction the arrow is pointing to.

Offset hours

We calculate an offset_hours field so the time slider lines up with forecast lead time, making it simple to synchronise the map with other weather charts.

Data request behind the scene

The dashboard calls the GribStream API with the following query. Replace the domain bounds or adjust the grid step to focus on your own region of interest. The API can make much higher resolution requests but the dashboard is limited as grafana slows to a fault with too many artifacts being drawn.

curl -X POST 'https://gribstream.com/api/v2/nbm/history' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Authorization: $(curl https://gribstream.com/auth/demo)' \
  -d '{
    "fromTime": "2025-05-06T02:01:36.287Z",
    "untilTime": "2025-05-07T12:01:36.287Z",
    "minHorizon": 0,
    "maxHorizon": 36,
    "grid": {
              "minLatitude": 24.52,
              "maxLatitude": 49.38,
              "minLongitude": -124.77,
              "maxLongitude": -66.93,
              "step": 1.25
          },
    "variables": [
      { "name": "WIND", "level": "10 m above ground", "info": "", "alias": "wind_speed" },
      { "name": "WDIR", "level": "10 m above ground", "info": "", "alias": "wind_dir" }
    ],
    "expressions": [
      { "expression": "int(wind_dir + 180) % 360", "alias": "wind_dir"},
      { "expression": "floor((date(forecasted_time) - date('\''2025-05-06T02:01:36.287Z'\'')).Hours())", "alias": "offset_hours"}
    ],
    "filter": { "expression": "wind_speed != nil"}
  }'

Tips for exploration

• Overlay terrain or city layers to see how mountains and coastlines influence the wind field.
• Animate the slider quickly to reveal the passage of cold fronts and synoptic scale lows.
• Narrow the grid step to zero point five degrees to expose local wind maxima near passes and valleys.