Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Use this forum to discuss anything that doesn't fit anywhere else.
User avatar
GeoffSchultz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
Contact:

Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I've just finished implementing an interactive marine forecast map at http://www.geoffschultz.org/marine_forecast_map.php. You can click anywhere on the map (over water) and a new window will appear showing you the forecast for that position. I've also added links to all of my logs which take you to a forecast for that location.

The data for this forecast was provided for free by World Weather Online. Note that I've seen large discrepancies between their forecast and other sources, so take it as a simple datapoint and use your own judgement to determine its accuracy.

There was lots of learning involved here...Javascript, XML, JSON. It's been fun! I'm not happy with the data and will probably do a mashup of multiple data feeds to get better results.

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

User avatar
Hans
Posts: 126
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:28 am
Location: Deventer, The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by Hans »

Geoff,

It's wonderful, I am very impressed. Will try it next trip. Thanks for all the work you're doing for all us sailors out there,

Hans
Hans Hansen, Makkum,The Netherlands.
Freedom 45AC #47 "Scherezade".

User avatar
Teke's Pride
Posts: 219
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 2:56 am
Location: Lake Guntersville, AL
Contact:

Re: Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by Teke's Pride »

:D Thanks for the GREAT tool!!
:o It even works on inland waters! :o
Clark Myers
Teke's Pride
F21 #345

Black Finn
F40 AC CK #41

Browns Creek Sailing Association
Guntersville, AL
http://www.youtube.com/LambdaZetaTeke

User avatar
GeoffSchultz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
Contact:

Re: Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I've just completed updating my weather page (http://www.geoffschultz.org/weather_map.php) so that you can view either a marine forecast, Wunderground forecast, radar image, or visual/IR satellite images of an area just by clicking on a google map. You can also select each of the units of measure that you want the forecast to be displayed in.

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

User avatar
GeoffSchultz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
Contact:

Re: Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by GeoffSchultz »

Today's addition: An interactive Tides widget primarily for the US and a few places in the Caribbean and Pacific. (Press escape to close it.)

http://www.geoffschultz.org/weather_map.php

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

User avatar
GeoffSchultz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
Contact:

Re: Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by GeoffSchultz »

During periods where I haven't been out doing stuff with the generator, playing with the chain saw, or hosting people without power, I've been continuing to work on my weather mashup. I've made significant progress in that I've added most of the NOAA/NWS weather fax products. The map now shows outlines of the charts that are available.

As someone who uses the NWS Weather Fax web site all of the time, I must say that it's really quite enlightening to be able to just click on a map to display all of this information. Much more intuitive.

I'll add the upper wind charts when I have a chance to geo-code them. You'll also note that I've add the UK Met Office graphics to the map.

http://www.geoffschultz.org/weather_map.php

Image
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

User avatar
GeoffSchultz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
Contact:

Re: Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I've now added Windfinder.com as a weather source for my weather mashup. It's one of my favorite sources and they just told me how to do it.

Image
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

User avatar
GeoffSchultz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
Contact:

Re: Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by GeoffSchultz »

Two new additions today:

1) I have included current projections from NOAA's Ocean Prediction Center. These are in the NOAA Charts pull-down menu section. The example here shows the Gulf Stream off of Florida.

Image

Next, I've added user definable markers. Simply RIGHT-CLICK on the map and a box will appear asking you to name the location. You can create as many markers as you want. To delete them, right click on the marker.

These are stored as cookies in your browser, so they won't appear on another computer or a different browser on the same computer. If you delete your cookies, they'll disappear.

Image

http://www.geoffschultz.org/weather_map.php

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

User avatar
GeoffSchultz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
Contact:

Re: Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by GeoffSchultz »

Today's additions:

(1) I've now added the National Weather Service text forecasts to the map. This means that you can click anywhere in the US and get either the land, on-shore, or off-shore forecast for that area.

(2) All of the NOAA charts are now properly oriented. You no longer have to turn your head sideways to read some of the charts. Why NOAA can't do this is beyond me...

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

User avatar
GeoffSchultz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
Contact:

Re: Interactive Marine Forecast Map

Post by GeoffSchultz »

Today's additions to the interactive weather map.

(1) I added a bunch of data from the Australian Weather Bureau. These are animated 72 hour charts. Very nice. However I'm worried that the directory structure of the files seems to change, so I'm not sure that I can determine the correct file names. Hopefully I can as they've got a lot of great content for that portion of the world.

Image

(2) I have replaced my simple next/previous button image viewer for animated sequences with a much nicer one that I paid a whole $10 for. I decided that I had better things to do with my time than re-invent the wheel and it was well worth it for the price.

Image

http://www.geoffschultz.org/weather_map.php

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

Post Reply