Is hourly climate forecast data, for example NOAA GFS model datafiles, for the coming hour, e.g. the 11 AM datafile is for the time from 11:00 to 11:59 AM?
This is what I have been assuming. However, I am having doubts because I found documentation regarding measured data that states "data value will be for the hour ending at the time specified" (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/cdo/documentation/PRECIP_HLY_documentation.pdf). While this makes sense for measured data, I could not find anything definitive for forecast data.
Is there documentation that can confirm that hourly forecast datafiles are for the coming hour?
EDIT: The answer is that forecast data files represent instantaneous values at the hour specified, and measured data files represent time-averaged values up to the hour.
The answer is that forecast data files represent instantaneous values at the hour specified, and measured data files represent time-averaged values up to the hour.