UK Model Maps

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Theme

Three views. One winter outlook.

Compare panels

Choose any model and layer above each map.

Area

Info

The selected model brackets match the run of the selected layer. Other model options show their newest ready ordinary run. Ensemble probabilities and temperature anomalies publish separately and advance when their next verified product is available. Run · UTC controls the run displayed on the map. Each layer advances automatically once the new run has coverage through T+72 hours, or the run is complete. The previous run remains available. Each run appears once in Run. Choose an older run to keep that initialization fixed; choose the newest ready run to resume updates. Incoming runs are also available. UKV uses 00, 03, 06, 09, 12, 15, 18 and 21Z main runs. Comparison covers the full available range of all selected models and layers at the chosen interval. Each panel shows the selected valid time, or a clear message if that run has no forecast there.

Choose the forecast interval above the maps.

Playback speed

Your selected hour loads first. Charts at your selected interval load together in the background, starting with nearby times. Prepared charts are reused when stepping or looping. Panning or zooming prepares the new view. Grid values return when paused.

Map appearance

Map background Terrain shading

Subtle relief beneath the weather colours.

Road networkWeather shading 80%

Model runs & layer notes

Short- and medium-term groups reflect typical use; forecast length varies by run. GEFS and ECMWF ENS provide official mean & spread fields for 500 hPa height, 850 hPa temperature and sea-level pressure. Spread is standard deviation: larger values mean less agreement. HGEFS mean has its own set of layers. Each menu shows supplied fields and supported derived diagnostics. Derived diagnostics adds 850 hPa theta-w and 300/400 hPa relative vorticity where the necessary inputs are available. The current IFS 9 km feed contains surface fields but no pressure-level fields; select IFS 0.1° or IFS 0.25° for theta-w and upper-air diagnostics. IFS 0.1° is ECMWF’s separate regular global grid, with all 14 supplied pressure levels, native humidity, vorticity, divergence and pressure vertical velocity. It supplies 3-hour steps through T+144 and 6-hour steps to T+360 for 00/12 UTC runs; 06/18 UTC runs end at T+144. IFS 9 km also offers derived 2 m humidity and diffuse radiation, native snow density, and marine fields.

Panel 1

Grid labels show native model values at selected grid points. Temperature labels are rounded to whole degrees. Points are thinned for readability; zoom in for more local detail.

Checking live model feeds…

Checking imagery…

Chart cache

Saved imagery is checked for corrections in the background.

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Forecast time · UTC

Forecast interval

Forecast Period

Choose a valid forecast time; playback begins at this frame.

Panel 1

Forecast model

Weather layer

Run · UTC

Contours MSLP Grid values

Loading forecast…

VALID TIME · UTCLoading…

POINT GUIDANCE

Whole-event analysis ·

Model	Fresh snow mm depth	Snow band	Precipitation mm water	Min air °C	Min 0 cm soil °C	Cold / moisture screening signal	Coverage

How the event guidance is calculated

Snow bands use each model’s fresh snowfall sum over your chosen event, converted from centimetres to millimetres of snow depth. Zero snow is shown separately; D1: above 0 and below 2 mm; D2: 2–20 mm inclusive; D3: above 20 to 50 mm; E: above 50 mm. Missing hours prevent a complete total or category.

The experimental cold/moisture screen flags an hourly sample when 0 cm soil temperature is at or below 0°C and either total precipitation in the preceding six hours is at least 0.1 mm, or snow depth has fallen by at least 0.1 cm during an above-zero air-temperature sample in that lookback. A falling snow-depth signal can reflect compaction as well as thaw. This is a screening rule, not a road-wetness model: it does not account for drainage, drying, road treatment or road-surface temperature. C1–C3 categories are not assigned.

Each hourly snowfall total is included when its ending time is after the event start and at or before the event end. Temperature minima use the same hourly samples. HGEFS and EC ENS are ensemble means and their event results are labelled by model name; they are not independent deterministic forecasts.

About the maps and forecast data

One timeline, the actual model grid

Weather shading uses model grids, with bilinear interpolation for readable shading and contours. Interpolation does not add forecast detail. Models can have different run times, forecast lengths and available fields. The comparison timeline includes times supplied by any selected model and layer. All panels follow the selected valid time; a panel without a forecast is clearly marked unavailable. Values may differ from the location charts, which use Open-Meteo’s point processing and latest available forecasts.

Snow water equivalent is not snow depth

Where the spatial feed provides snowfall as water equivalent, it is labelled in millimetres of water. It is not assigned a D category from that value. Use a chosen event period and fresh snow depth for your D1–E bands.

Data usage

Map layers download grid-file sections and map tiles, rather than point forecasts for each location. Moving the timeline loads the selected field and valid time. Local charts reuse cached point forecasts for 20 minutes. Counts here cover this browser only, not your spreadsheet or your provider’s quota.

Briefing View

Whole-event analysis ·

One timeline, the actual model grid

Snow water equivalent is not snow depth