National and regional ( NW , SW , N Central , S Central , Great Lakes , NE , SE) .
FSL versions: Forecasts out to 24 h ( FSL RUC ) or 48 h ( dev RUC ) updated every 3 h, hourly forecasts out to 6 h.
NCEP operational version Forecasts out to 12 h updated every 3 h, hourly forecasts out to 3 h.
RUC20 Technical Procedures Bulletin A 30-page document with detailed information on the RUC20.

Information on RUC/MAPS diagnosed variables - How are they calculated?
Experiments on GOES cloud-top pressure assimilation

The RAP Branch focuses on the development of the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) - running operationally at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) The Mesoscale Analysis and Prediction System (MAPS) refers to previous development versions of the RUC.

The key features of RUC/MAPS include:

• high-frequency (every 1h) short-range weather model forecasts (out to 12 h) in support of aviation and other mesoscale weather forecast users
• high-frequency (every 1h) 3-d objective analyses over the contiguous United States, assimilating the following types of observations:
  • commercial aircraft (relayed through ACARS - Aircraft Communications, Addressing, and Reporting System)
  • wind profilers (404 and boundary-layer 915 MHz)
  • rawinsondes and special dropwinsondes
  • surface reporting stations and buoys
  • RASS (Radio Acoustic Sounding System) - experimental
  • VAD (velocity-azimuth display) winds from NWS WSR-88D radars
  • GOES total precipitable water estimates
  • SSM/I total precipitable water estimates
  • GPS total precipitable water estimates
  • GOES high-density visible and IR cloud drift winds
• a hybrid isentropic-sigma vertical coordinate.

The RUC development and implementation effort receives substantial support from
• FAA Aviation Weather Research Program
• NOAA

• Access to operational RUC20 grids from NCEP
• Access to real-time RUC grids from the TG server at NWS
• Access to archived (not real time) RUC GRIB data from DOE/ARM Program
• Access to archived RUC GRIB data from NCDC
• RUC grid files - Information on contents
• RUC20 GRIB table
• RUC analysis obs and background error specifications

  Model topography

• 20-km topography map -- 20km RUC
  
• Download RUC fixed fields (ASCII) and software
  • 20-km, 40-km and 60-km topography or latitude/longitude
  • 20km land-use, look-up table for roughness length, albedo, emissivity
  • software to convert from RUC native coordinates/variables to isobaric coordinates/variables