HRRR

HRRR (High-Resolution Rapid Refresh) is a short-range NOAA weather model that updates hourly at about 3 km resolution. For marine users, it is most useful for near-term forecasts of wind, gusts, rain and temperature around US coastal waters, harbours, the Great Lakes and inland waterways.

Because HRRR refreshes frequently, boaters use it for same-day decisions: whether to reef, delay a departure, choose a sheltered route, or watch for squalls and thunderstorms. It should be read alongside a broader Forecast Model, especially when assessing local Wind Gust risk and fast-moving rain shown on Rain Radar.

In PredictWind, HRRR can complement global models such as ECMWF, GFS and ICON where available, particularly for short coastal hops and rapidly changing weather windows. Offshore sailors should remember that HRRR has limited geographic coverage and lead time, so it is best used with wider-area forecasts, observations and GRIB data.