Missing soil information from NCEP GFS 0.25 and 0.5 degree real-time data

[davegill2]

Folks,
Here is a script that I use to pick up data:

#!/bin/csh

set YYYY = 2022
set MM = 11
set DD = 06
set HH = 18

set HR = 0p25

set name = gfs.t${HH}z.pgrb2b.${HR}.f000
wget https://ftpprd.ncep.noaa.gov/data/nccf/com/gfs/prod/gfs.${YYYY}${MM}${DD}/${HH}/atmos/$name

The file that I receive is a reasonable size:

% ls -ls *f000
491608 -rw-r--r-- 1 admin staff 235737301 Nov 6 14:34 gfs.t18z.pgrb2b.0p25.f000

I expect to find soil data for GFS associated with the "level" 106 descriptor as defined in the Vtable.GFS:

% grep 106 Vtable
144 | 112 | 0 | 10 | SM000010 | fraction| Soil Moist 0-10 cm below grn layer (Up) | 2 | 0 | 192 | 106 |
144 | 112 | 10 | 40 | SM010040 | fraction| Soil Moist 10-40 cm below grn layer | 2 | 0 | 192 | 106 |
144 | 112 | 40 | 100 | SM040100 | fraction| Soil Moist 40-100 cm below grn layer | 2 | 0 | 192 | 106 |
144 | 112 | 100 | 200 | SM100200 | fraction| Soil Moist 100-200 cm below gr layer | 2 | 0 | 192 | 106 |
144 | 112 | 10 | 200 | SM010200 | fraction| Soil Moist 10-200 cm below gr layer | 2 | 0 | 192 | 106 |
11 | 112 | 0 | 10 | ST000010 | K | T 0-10 cm below ground layer (Upper) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 106 |
11 | 112 | 10 | 40 | ST010040 | K | T 10-40 cm below ground layer (Upper) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 106 |
11 | 112 | 40 | 100 | ST040100 | K | T 40-100 cm below ground layer (Upper) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 106 |
11 | 112 | 100 | 200 | ST100200 | K | T 100-200 cm below ground layer (Bottom)| 0 | 0 | 0 | 106 |
85 | 112 | 0 | 10 | ST000010 | K | T 0-10 cm below ground layer (Upper) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 106 |
85 | 112 | 10 | 40 | ST010040 | K | T 10-40 cm below ground layer (Upper) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 106 |
85 | 112 | 40 | 100 | ST040100 | K | T 40-100 cm below ground layer (Upper) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 106 |
85 | 112 | 100 | 200 | ST100200 | K | T 100-200 cm below ground layer (Bottom)| 2 | 0 | 2 | 106 |
11 | 112 | 10 | 200 | ST010200 | K | T 10-200 cm below ground layer (Bottom) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 106 |

When I do a g2print on the raw GRIB data, these soil moisture and soil temperature fields do not exist.

% util/g2print.exe GRIBFILE.AAA | grep 106
106 0 2 10 100 32500 0 0 ABSV 2022-11-06_18:00:00 00
266 2 3 192 106 0 10 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_18:00:00 00
267 2 3 192 106 10 40 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_18:00:00 00
268 2 3 192 106 40 100 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_18:00:00 00
269 2 3 192 106 100 200 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_18:00:00 00

I have checked a few other times for this date (same initialization time), a different resolution, and also the 12z initialization time: the soil info is missing from all of these files. I know that this data set worked a few weeks ago in mid-October.

I am loathe to mention the ugly history of sabotage, but perhaps do you think that NCEP just hates me? Alternatively, is there a separate file that I should be retrieving for the surface / soil fields?

Thanks mucho, and please consider me to always be a
Problem Child

 

[davegill2]

It has been nearly 15 minutes, and I have received no reply yet. What are you people doing over there?

 

[Deleted member 3607]

It has been nearly 15 minutes, and I have received no reply yet. What are you people doing over there?

Responses​

• The NCAR team tries to reply to inquiries in a timely manner, but it can sometimes take a few days due to other obligations.
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Sorry to say but it looks like NCAR is unavailable right now.

Not sure if this will help you but I noticed that the server, directory, and file paths changed a few months back. Here's the snippet I have from one of my codes that might help you.

    server=https://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/pub/data/nccf/com/gfs/prod
    directory=gfs.${year}${month}${day}/${runcycle}/atmos
    file=gfs.t${runcycle}z.pgrb2.0p25.f${ftime}

 

[davegill2]

Will,
Thanks much for the optional site to look at. However, I am getting the exact same file size, and the same missing soil data using the nomads server. I just wonder what I am doing wrong since I do not see anyone else having this trouble recently.

 

[davegill2]

Will,
I used data from here:
wget https://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/pub/da...s.20221106/12/atmos/gfs.t12z.pgrb2b.0p50.f000

Then I used the g2print executable from WPS to look at the GRIB data:
util/g2print.exe gfs.t12z.pgrb2b.0p50.f000 | grep 106
106 0 2 10 100 32500 0 0 ABSV 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00
266 2 3 192 106 0 10 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00
267 2 3 192 106 10 40 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00
268 2 3 192 106 40 100 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00
269 2 3 192 106 100 200 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00

 

[Deleted member 3607]

Will,
I used data from here:
wget https://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/pub/da...s.20221106/12/atmos/gfs.t12z.pgrb2b.0p50.f000

Then I used the g2print executable from WPS to look at the GRIB data:
util/g2print.exe gfs.t12z.pgrb2b.0p50.f000 | grep 106
106 0 2 10 100 32500 0 0 ABSV 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00
266 2 3 192 106 0 10 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00
267 2 3 192 106 10 40 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00
268 2 3 192 106 40 100 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00
269 2 3 192 106 100 200 0 SOILL 2022-11-06_12:00:00 00

I just tested it out too and I get the same results (attached)

 

[Deleted member 3607]

I just tested it out too and I get the same results (attached)

Also checked gfs.t12z.pgrb2b.0p25.f000
and it shows missing file names as shown in vtable as well

 

[mgduda]

For what it's worth, I've always downloaded the "pgrb2" files rather than the "pgrb2b" files; perhaps the "pgrb2b" files just contain supplemental fields or levels?

 

[Ming Chen]

Dave,
pgrb2 files contain both upper level data and soil data (soil temperature and moisture).
pgrb2b files don't have soil information.
Michael is right that we should download pgrb2 data to drive WRF.
Please see the attached files that show the variables included in pgrb2 and pgrb2b files.

 

[davegill2]

Thanks folks!
How do we close this issue?

 

[Deleted member 3607]

Thanks folks!
How do we close this issue?

Change title name to add (solved)