NCEP GRIB2 Tables#

🚧 Work in progress My intent is to make this reference useful for people unfamiliar with GRIB and Herbie’s search argument used for filtering data.

A selection from ON388 - TABLE 2: PARAMETERS & UNITS

See also HRRR GRIB2 Tables

Variable Description Units
PRES Pressure Pa
PRMSL Pressure reduced to MSL Pa
PTEND Pressure tendency Pa/s
PVORT Potential vorticity K m2 kg-1 s-1
HGT Geopotential height gpm
DIST Geometric height m
REFC Maximum/Composite radar reflectivity dbZ
TOZNE Total ozone Dobson
TMP Temperature K
VTMP Virtual temperature K
POT Potential temperature K
EPOT Equivalent potential temperature K
DPT Dew point temperature K
DEPR Dew point depression (or deficit) K
VIS Visibility m
WDIR Wind direction (from which blowing) deg true
WIND Wind speed m/s
UGRD u-component of wind m/s
VGRD v-component of wind m/s
VVEL Vertical velocity (pressure) Pa/s
DZDT Vertical velocity (geometric) m/s
ABSV Absolute vorticity /s
ABSD Absolute divergence /s
RELV Relative vorticity /s
RELD Relative divergence /s
SPFH Specific humidity kg/kg
RH Relative humidity %
MIXR Humidity mixing ratio kg/kg
PWAT Precipitable water kg/m2
VAPP Vapor pressure Pa
SATD Saturation deficit Pa
EVP Evaporation kg/m2
CICE Cloud Ice kg/m2
PRATE Precipitation rate kg/m2/s
APCP Total precipitation kg/m2
WEASD Water equiv. of accum. snow depth kg/m2
SNOD Snow depth m
MIXHT Mixed layer depth m
TTHDP Transient thermocline depth m
TCDC Total cloud cover %
CDCON Convective cloud cover %
LCDC Low cloud cover %
MCDC Medium cloud cover %
HCDC High cloud cover %
CWAT Cloud water kg/m2
WTMP Water Temperature K
LAND Land cover (land=1, sea=0) (see note) proportion
SFCR Surface roughness m
ALBDO Albedo %
TSOIL Soil temperature K
SOILM Soil moisture content kg/m2
VEG Vegetation %
SALTY Salinity kg/kg
DEN Density kg/m3
WATR Water runoff kg/m2
ICEC Ice cover (ice=1, no ice=0) (See Note) proportion
ICETK Ice thickness m
NSWRS Net short-wave radiation flux (surface) W/m2
NLWRS Net long wave radiation flux (surface) W/m2
NSWRT Net short-wave radiation flux (top of atmosphere) W/m2
NLWRT Net long wave radiation flux (top of atmosphere) W/m2
LWAVR Long wave radiation flux W/m2
SWAVR Short wave radiation flux W/m2
BRTMP Brightness temperature K
LHTFL Latent heat net flux W/m2
SHTFL Sensible heat net flux W/m2
LTNG Lightning non-dim

Select levels

Level

entire atmosphere

cloud top

surface

250 mb

300 mb

500 mb

700 mb

850 mb

925 mb

1000 mb

mean sea level

2 m above ground

80 m above ground

0 m underground

10 m above ground

top of atmosphere