NOAA RTMA/URMA: Hourly High-Resolution Weather Analyses for the U.S.

From 2019 to present, the NOAA Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA) provides hourly, high-resolution analyses of near-surface weather conditions. It is produced by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction using the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation system to assimilate conventional and satellite observations. The Unrestricted Mesoscale Analysis (URMA) is a time-lagged version updated with new observations.

Use Cases

• Nowcasting and short-term weather prediction based on hourly, high-resolution analyses.
• Forecast verification and model evaluation based on the assimilation of conventional and satellite observations.
• Spatial analysis of weather patterns based on 2.5 km and 3 km resolution grids for CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Strengths

• Hourly temporal resolution for timely analysis.
• High spatial resolution of 2.5 km for CONUS and 3 km for Alaska.
• Data coverage from 2019 to the present, providing a multi-year record.
• Assimilates multiple data sources, including conventional and satellite observations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and total data size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)

Collection Method

Produced by the NCEP/EMC Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system in two-dimensional variational mode.

Time Range

2019 to present

Freshness

Updated hourly for RTMA; URMA is updated when new observations arrive.

Geography

Continental U.S. (CONUS), Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam.