The Weather Company has become the first operational user of the Joint Effort for Data Assimilation Integration (JEDI), a groundbreaking software tool developed at the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA), which is housed at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). 

JEDI provides the highest quality analysis available of the current state of the atmosphere, which is crucial for predicting the weather. An open-community software seven years in the making, JEDI integrates vast amounts of asynchronous observations from multiple sources – including radar, satellites, weather balloons, aircraft, weather stations, and more – and turns them into a consistent format to be fed into forecast models with unprecedented efficiency and accuracy.

JEDI is developed, maintained, and owned by the JCSDA, a research center of excellence based on a multi-agency partnership among NOAA, NASA, and the U.S. Navy and Air Force, with key collaborators including the U.K. Met Office and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR). 

Thomas Auligné, the director of JCSDA, said collaborations have been key for the development of JEDI. 

“Weather doesn’t operate in silos, and neither should we,” Auligné said. “This successful first commercial implementation of JEDI demonstrates how cross-sector collaboration can help bridge the gap between government and university research and operational forecasting, ultimately driving breakthrough innovations that benefit society as a whole.” 

In an era where extreme weather events are increasingly impacting lives and economies, The Weather Company said its implementation of JEDI within its global high-resolution atmospheric forecasting system (GRAF) represents a significant step forward in weather prediction capabilities. Internal testing by The Weather Company indicates forecast accuracy improvements of up to 15% are possible as its team continues to unlock the full potential of JEDI with advanced weather observations.

GRAF, developed in collaboration with NSF NCAR and based on the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS), drives short-term forecasting for the day ahead, which is critical for helping people and businesses make informed plans. NSF NCAR also collaborated with The Weather Company for its operational implementation of JEDI, leveraging experience with MPAS and JEDI developed over several years.

JEDI is a highly flexible and capable system that has already been adapted to a variety of weather models. When integrated into The Weather Company's GRAF forecasts and insights, it helps offer:

• Increased forecast accuracy: The skillful assimilation of observational data into weather models enables significant improvement in day-ahead predictions and longer-term forecast accuracy, especially as developers continue to upgrade the system.
• Faster access to cutting-edge observations: JEDI enables the assimilation of an expanded range of observational data, providing a more detailed view of the atmosphere. For example, The Weather Company can enhance its global high-resolution atmospheric forecasting system with data from specialized satellite instruments, rapid-update aircraft observations, and mobile device pressure readings.
• Enhanced probabilistic forecasting: JEDI enables ensemble modeling, or multiple forecast runs, thereby delivering more accurate predictions of weather’s uncertainty. Seeing a range of potential outcomes can be crucial for critical decision making based on weather.

“As the first institution in the world to operationalize JEDI for weather forecasting, The Weather Company is not just implementing new technology – we’re revolutionizing how weather forecasting will be done in the future,” said Peter Neilley, SVP of science and forecasting operations for The Weather Company. “This advancement continues our commitment to innovate in weather forecasting technology while collaborating across the scientific community to solve global problems such as the increasingly disruptive impacts of weather.”

The crucial role of data assimilation

JEDI improves forecasts through ts advanced approach to assimilating observational data into models. This is important because weather models must begin with an accurate estimate of the current state of the atmosphere in order to produce an accurate forecast.

Satellites and other instruments provide important snapshots of the atmosphere, but they cannot view all of it constantly and therefore leave wide gaps in time and space observations. 

A data assimilation system such as JEDI is vital for filling in those gaps with estimates of key atmospheric parameters, such as temperature, wind, and humidity.

Although recent media coverage often highlights the role of artificial intelligence in weather forecasting, a growing body of evidence shows that data assimilation is the most critical component of an accurate modeling system. In fact, the greatest gains in numerical weather prediction skill over the past several decades have come from advances in data assimilation. By efficiently integrating vast amounts of observational data into models, data assimilation has consistently driven major improvements in forecast accuracy — more than any other single advancement in the forecasting process.

UCAR President Antonio Busalacchi said partnerships among government agencies, the university community, and the private sector are vital for such advances in data assimilation and other critical components of forecasting.

“We are very pleased that The Weather Company is adopting JEDI to strengthen its weather forecasting capabilities and better serve its customers,” he said. “Today’s announcement illustrates the strength of the U.S. weather enterprise, which relies on government and university researchers working with private forecasting companies to improve prediction for the benefit of all of society.”

About The Weather Company

The Weather Company helps people and businesses around the world make more informed decisions and take action in the face of weather. With its deep industry expertise and highly accurate, high-volume weather data combined with advanced technology and AI, The Weather Company provides insights and solutions that harness the power of weather in a scalable, privacy-forward way. The company serves hundreds of enterprise customers and hundreds of millions of consumers on digital properties such as The Weather Channel app and weather.com. For more, visit weathercompany.com. 

About JCSDA

The Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA) is a collaborative research center  hosted by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). It brings together key U.S. operational agencies — including NOAA, NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy — and collaborators — including the Met Office and NSF-NCAR — to advance the use of satellite data in weather, ocean, and environmental forecasting. At the heart of JCSDA's efforts is the Joint Effort for Data assimilation Integration (JEDI), an open-source software initiative that accelerates the transition of research into the next generation of operational forecasting systems. By fostering interagency cooperation, harnessing state-of-the-art computational infrastructure, and engaging a broad scientific and user community, JCSDA ensures that satellite observations are fully leveraged to enhance environmental prediction capabilities.

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