12Z model run on time, 3 balloon reports flagged, 2 satellite sectors moved
Model status
NWS is producing the 12Z model run on schedule. Forecast model output should reach forecasters, apps and websites at the usual times.
“12Z” is the run’s start time in UTC. NWS runs its main models four times a day — 00Z, 06Z, 12Z and 18Z — and each run begins by digesting a global snapshot of current conditions taken at that hour.
106 weather balloon launches were available to feed this run (11 in Alaska, 26 in Canada, 40 in Lower 48, 12 in Mexico, 8 in Caribbean, 9 in Pacific). “Stations available for ingest” means balloon soundings that arrived in time to be folded into the model’s starting picture of the atmosphere. Twice a day, sites across North America release balloons that measure temperature, humidity, pressure and wind all the way up. More stations reporting means a better-anchored starting point for the GFS.
Balloon reports UPDATED 12Z RAOB RECAP...
Twice a day, NWS and partner agencies release weather balloons that carry a radiosonde — a small instrument package that radios back temperature, humidity, pressure and wind as it climbs. Those soundings are one of the main ingredients in a forecast model’s starting conditions. This section is the roll call of stations that had a problem for the 12Z run.
3 stations were flagged: 1 sent no usable sounding at all, 2 had bad data removed by quality control. A handful of gaps is normal and is not by itself a sign of a forecast problem — the models are built to work with an incomplete picture.
| Station | Where | What happened | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| SYA 70414 | Shemya AFB, AK | No weather balloon data from this station reached the NAM run. The GFS run did get a report from it. | No report for the NAM...in for the GFS |
| YPH 71907 | Inukjuak A, Que · Canada | Quality control removed part of this sounding before it reached the models: temps/moisture at 878 mb...super-adiabatic lapse rate. The rest of the sounding was still used. | Purged temps/moisture at 878 mb...super-adiabatic lapse rate |
| SJU 78526 | San Juan/Intl, Puerto Rico, PR · Puerto Rico | Quality control removed part of this sounding before it reached the models: temps/moisture at 788 mb and 753 mb...super-adiabatic lapse rate. The rest of the sounding was still used. | Purged temps/moisture at 788 mb and 753 mb...super-adiabatic lapse rate |
Satellite moves MDS STATUS...
Each GOES weather satellite has two “mesoscale sectors” — small, movable windows that the satellite photographs roughly every 60 seconds, far more often than its routine full-disk and continental scans. Forecasters aim them at whatever is most important that day. This section announces where they are being pointed and for how long.
GOES-East is pointing mesoscale sector 1 at a point about 35 mi ENE of Cincinnati, OH — to support flash flood and heavy rainfall forecasting. That means this patch of sky gets a fresh satellite image about once a minute instead of every 5 to 10 minutes, so forecasters can watch storms develop almost in real time.
- Centre point
- 39.3°N, 83.9°W view on map
- Window
- from until
- Reason given
- excessive rainfall and severe weather monitoring across portions of the Ohio Valley
GOES-East is pointing mesoscale sector 2 at a point about 50 mi S of North Platte, NE — to support severe thunderstorm and tornado forecasting. That means this patch of sky gets a fresh satellite image about once a minute instead of every 5 to 10 minutes, so forecasters can watch storms develop almost in real time.
- Centre point
- 40.4°N, 100.7°W view on map
- Window
- from until
- Reason given
- severe weather monitoring across portions of the Central Plains
Show the original message
Exactly as NWS transmitted it. Everything above is our plain-English reading of this text — if the two ever disagree, this is the authoritative version.
000
NOUS42 KWNO 161510
ADMSDM
SENIOR DUTY METEOROLOGIST NWS ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
NWS CENTRAL OPERATIONS COLLEGE PARK MD
1509Z SUN AUG 16 2026
The 12Z GFS began and is running on time with 11 Alaskan...26
Canadian...40 CONUS...12 Mexican...8 Caribbean...and 9 Pacific
raobs available for ingest.
UPDATED 12Z RAOB RECAP...
70414/SYA - No report for the NAM...in for the GFS
71907/YPH - Purged temps/moisture at 878 mb...super-adiabatic
lapse rate
78526/SJU - Purged temps/moisture at 788 mb and 753
mb...super-adiabatic lapse rate
MDS STATUS...
GOES-E MDS Sector 1 is centered over 39.3N/83.9W from 1445Z until
17/1200Z in support of excessive rainfall and severe weather
monitoring across portions of the Ohio Valley.
GOES-E MDS Sector 2 is centered over 40.4N/100.7W from 1455Z
until 17/1200Z to in support of severe weather monitoring across
portions of the Central Plains.
Ready/SDM/NCO