A new high-resolution blended real-time global sea surface temperature analysis

A new blended high-resolution real-time global sea surface temperature analysis (RTG_SST), developed specifically for use in operational numerical weather forecasting models, was implemented in NCEP's operational job stream on 30 January 2001, immediately following investigations of miss-forecast precipitation events in the mid-Atlantic states. Each daily analysis uses the most recent 24-h receipts of in situ and satellite-derived surface temperature data and provides a global SST field on a 0.5' x 0.5' (latitude-longitude) grid. The RTG-SST provides the sea surface temperature fields for the regional Meso Eta Model, replacing the previously used National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) 50-km satellite-only SST analysis. Forecast events leading to the implementation of the RTG_SST are described; comparison is made of the properties used in this new analysis with those of the Reynolds-Smith (RS) analysis and the NESDIS 50-km analysis; data ingestion, analysis, and verification components of the RTG_SST are reviewed; and analysis-related products and data that are available via the NCEP Web site are referenced.