Using the charts on the website – Buoyweather

How can I access the web forecasts?

From the Buoyweather homepage, click View web forecasts to open the interactive web charts.

You can find the View web forecasts button in the navigation bar at the top of the page or in the main section of the homepage.

If you have a specific forecast page bookmarked, your existing bookmark will continue to work.

How can I move around?

Move: click and drag your mouse to move the map.

Zoom: scroll gestures (e.g. mousewheel, two-finger swipe on a trackpad, etc) will zoom you in/out.

Time: use the timeline at the bottom of the screen to navigate the 16-day forecast, or the timestep buttons to the right of the timeline.

How can I use the interactive chart?

Use the interactive chart to switch between Map Layers, turn Map Overlays on or off, and choose how direction is displayed using Direction Indicators.

Our Map Layers can be found at the top of the charts page, and include:

Wind Speed
Wave Height
Wave Energy
Wave Period
Bathymetry
Satellite
Sea Surface Temperature
Ocean Currents
Wind + Ocean Currents

Our Map Overlays and Direction Indicators are found by clicking the Overlays button at the bottom right of the Charts screen.

The Map Overlays include:

Locations - See your favorites and points of interest on the map. Tap to see the spot conditions and forecast
Pressure - See GFS surface pressure contours on the map. Closer isobars mean a faster change.
Storms - Active tropical cyclones from the NHC, showing observed track and forecast path. Tap points on the track for storm direction and magnitude.
Lightning - See observed strikes and forecasted activity. Tap bolt icons for details, scrub forward for future probability and intensity. Sources: GLM, MRMS, RRFS
Buoys - Tap buoys on the map to see live data. Data types vary per buoy.

Direction Indicators include:

Particle - Animated marks that flow with the wind or current, so you can read direction and relative speed across the map.
Arrow - Arrows that point in the direction the wind or current is moving.
Wind Barb - Meteorological wind barbs. The stem points into the wind, and the marks show wind speed.
None - Hide the direction marks and show only the color layer.

Note: toggling between layers will not change the timestamp you're looking at.

The Legend in the top left side of the chart screen can be used to determine details.

How can I access a specific location forecast?

Click your desired location on the map, then select View Forecast from the tooltip to open the 16-day Custom Location Forecast.

How can I enter specific coordinates?

Tap the Coordinates button (crosshair icon) on the left side of the map to enter a specific latitude and longitude.

Supported formats include: DD (Decimal Degrees), DMM (Degrees & decimal minutes), DMS (Degrees, minutes & seconds)

Can I measure distance using the charts?

Yes! To measure distance, click the ruler icon found at the bottom of left side of the charts page, and select two or more points on the map. The distance of the highlighted path will be shown at the top of the screen: