NOAA’S upgraded northern Gulf of Mexico operational forecast system: model development and hindcast skill assessment

This report describes the development of the upgraded Northern Gulf of Mexico Operational Nowcast and Forecast System (NGOFS2) by the NOAA National Ocean Service. The NGOFS2 domain encompasses the broad coastal regions spanning from the northern coast of Mexico in the west to the U.S. Gulf Coast in the northwest, north, and northeast. The NGOFS2 will produce operational six-hour nowcast and up to 48-hour forecast guidance of water levels, three-dimensional (3-D) currents, water temperature, and salinity. It will support marine navigation, emergency response, search and rescue, offshore oil/gas operations, and the environmental management communities.