NCEP(GFS - FNL) - National Centers for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System (Final) global gridded anlaysis archive - 2000 to Present

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) final (FNL) gridded analysis datasets for the period from Jan 2000 until the current day. The NCEP GFS is a global spectral data assimilation and forecast model system giving 6 hourly (00, 06, 12 and 18 UTC) atmospheric variables at 26 levels with a resolution of .5 degree. The FNL version uses the same GFS model but the analysis is run at 3 hours past synoptic time instead (when more observational data is available), where a shorter (GDAS), 9-hr forecast is run. This 9-hr forecast is presumably of slightly better quality, as its analysis contains more observational information. The GFS model superceeded the AVN model in October 2002. Data is stored under a single folder(fnl) with 6 hourly files Zipped and Tar'd into a single monthly file with the naming convention {gfsYYMM (YY=year, MM=month)}. This archive is updated on a monthly basis.