About
Where our data comes from
Every feed this site uses, what it covers, how often it updates, and the gaps we are honest about rather than filling with guesses.
| Source | What we use it for | Refresh |
|---|---|---|
| NHC current storms | Active systems, position, intensity, movement | 5 min |
| NHC ATCF a-decks | Spaghetti model track guidance | 15 min |
| NWS alerts | Watches, warnings, coastal advisories | 2 min |
| NWS gridpoint forecast | Local forecasts for US locations | 30 min |
| NWS RIDGE radar | Radar mosaics and site loops | Live |
| NOAA STAR GOES-19 | Satellite imagery | Live |
| NOAA CO-OPS | Tide predictions and observed water level | Daily / 6 min |
| NOAA HURDAT2 | Historical best track archive, 1851 onward | Annual |
| Natural Earth | Coastlines and borders on our maps | Static |
What we cannot show you, and why
No ECMWF track. The ECMWF forecast track is not carried in the public ATCF a-deck files NHC distributes. NHC receives it but may not redistribute it. Any free plot showing an ECMWF track is either separately licensed or is mislabelling a different model. We would rather say this than quietly leave a gap.
Limited coverage outside the United States. The National Weather Service stops at US waters. Caribbean, Central and South American locations use a different forecast source, and tide data exists only where NOAA CO-OPS maintains a station, which covers much of the Caribbean but not the South American coast. Location pages state which sources apply.
Tide stations are not everywhere. NOAA maintains roughly 3,500 tide prediction stations, which is nowhere near one per beach. Each page names its station and the distance to it, and where the nearest is more than 30 miles away we show no tide data at all rather than something misleading.
NOAA data is a work of the United States government and is in the public domain. Natural Earth data is public domain. We are grateful for both.