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PlacefileNation — run by and for meteorologists & enthusiasts for your GRLevelX, WSV3, and Supercell WX applications.

Lightning Data

Total Lightning
Near Realtime

Plot intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes updated every 4 minutes.

Crowd-Sourced Reports

mPING Data
at Your Fingertips

See what spotters and weather enthusiasts are reporting — sampled every 4 minutes.

SPC Products

Outlooks &
Watches

Plot convective outlooks and discussions for significant weather impacts.

Observations

10,000+ METAR
Observations

Surface observations across the US, Canada, and Mexico updated every 5 minutes.

NWS Products

Warnings &
Advisories

Real-time county watches, advisories, and alerts — color-coded to NWS standards.

GRLevelX Compatible
WSV3 Compatible
Supercell Wx Compatible
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Welcome to PlacefileNation

PlacefileNation was created and is maintained by a team of seasoned meteorologists and weather enthusiasts to provide weather data placefiles for GRLevelX, GR2, GR3, WSV3, and Supercell Wx applications across the United States.

Analyzing radar with reliable data overlays provides a more seamless, worry-free experience. We know this, which is why we manage and monitor our own data feeds. All placefile URLs are permanent — we never break your setup.

Questions or feedback? Reach us at

All Systems Operational
No severe thunderstorm areas forecast through tonight.
50+
Placefiles
5min
Update Cycle
10K+
METAR Sites
Free
Always

Range Ring Generator

Generate a custom placefile with range rings centered on any coordinate. Generates and downloads directly to your computer.

Quick Color Reference

White 255 255 255
Black 0 0 0
Red 255 0 0
Orange 255 102 0
Yellow 255 255 0
Green 0 255 0
Cyan 0 255 255
Blue 0 0 255
Magenta 255 0 255

Label: Name of your center point — also used as the filename.

Coordinates: Center of the rings (Lat, Lon with comma).

Ring Size: Distance in miles. Enter 0 to disable that ring.

RGB Color: Three numbers 0–255 separated by spaces.

Line Width: Thickness of the ring line in pixels.

Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip Guide

These clips provide a behind-the-scenes look at the production and comedic chemistry that researchers analyze in their papers: Top Gear | The Perfect Road Trip 2 | Unseen Clips YouTube · Carsarcasm TV

While there isn't a single academic paper exclusively focused on the 2013 DVD special , the show is a primary subject in broader scholarly analyses of the series' cultural impact. Researchers often use its road-trip format to explore themes of masculinity, national identity, and the "decline" of car culture. Key Scholarly Themes

: Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond travel over 1,000 miles from Venice, Italy to Pau, France , visiting landmarks like the Monza circuit and Monaco . Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip

: Released in November 2013, it was the UK's best-selling TV title on DVD for that year, even outselling the London 2012 Olympics.

: Scholars in "Top Gear: Why Does the World’s Most Popular Programme Not Deserve Scrutiny?" highlight the show's unique "generic hybridity," which blends traditional consumer car reviews with high-budget comedy and travelogues, making it an "emblem of the UK" globally. Background on the Special These clips provide a behind-the-scenes look at the

: In the paper "The Cutting Edge of Cocking About": Top Gear, Automobility and Law , researchers argue that the show celebrates a specific, aggressive form of male identity linked to the internal combustion engine. However, it notes that the show's heavy use of nostalgia and irony actually frames this masculinity as something belonging to the past.

: Another study, "Belligerent broadcasting, male anti-authoritarianism and anti-environmentalism: the case of Top Gear" , examines how the presenters use contrarian humor to deflect criticism regarding environmental and social issues. : Released in November 2013, it was the

: The duo's stated aim is "escapism" by choosing the "perfect" car for each leg of the journey while removing annoyances like speed cameras, road works, and fellow presenter James May .

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NWPS River Gauges

National Water Prediction Service (formerly AHPS) river gauge data. Filter to action stage or higher.

Live
Filteredhttps://placefilenation.com/Placefiles/ahps-placefile-alerts.php
All Gaugeshttps://placefilenation.com/Placefiles/ahps-placefile.php
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Misc NWS Plots

CWA boundaries, radar site status, and NOAA Weather Radio transmitter locations.

Live
CWAhttps://placefilenation.com/Placefiles/nws_cwa_boundaries.php
Radar Statushttps://placefilenation.com/Placefiles/radar_status.php
NWR Siteshttps://placefilenation.com/Placefiles/noaaradio.php
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Earthquake Activity

USGS earthquake data plotted in near real-time by hour and day.

Live
Last Hourhttps://placefilenation.com/Placefiles/earthquakes_last_hour.php
Last 24 hrshttps://placefilenation.com/Placefiles/earthquakes_last_day.php
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Atlantic & Eastern Pacific Hurricane Tracks

NHC forecast tracks for tropical storms and hurricanes. Only visible near radar-covered landmasses.

Live
Atlantichttps://placefilenation.com/Placefiles/nhc.php
E. Pacifichttps://placefilenation.com/Placefiles/epnhc.php
Enhanced Radar Analysis

PlacefileNation Color Curves

Download and replace your color table settings for a more refined radar analysis experience.

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Base Reflectivity (BR/Z)

Enhanced reflectivity palette for improved storm structure analysis.

Download .pal
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Base Velocity (BV/V)

Velocity color curve tuned for rotation and wind shear detection.

Download .pal
🌀

Storm-Relative Velocity (SRV/SRM)

SRM palette optimized for mesocyclone and tornado vortex signature analysis.

Download .pal

Disclaimer

PlacefileNation is a conceptual method to provide weather data for GR2, GR3, GRLevelX, WSV3, and Supercell Wx applications. PlacefileNation is in no way affiliated or associated with the National Weather Service. No warranties of this system or data quality assurances are implied. There is no guarantee that the placefiles will always be available or that the data displayed will always be up-to-date and/or correct. These placefiles are in continual development and thus are subject to change at any time.