NCL: GRIB to netCDF: Efficient Approach

Note: Support for GRIB2 files was added in version 4.3.0.

In version 4.2.0.a034, a tool called ncl_convert2nc was created to convert all or part of a GRIB file to netCDF.

This method is recommended unless you want to rename some of the GRIB1 and GRIB2 output variables. The method below shows the most efficient way to write GRIB files which rename variable and dimension names.

Some notes about the method below:

use only if you need to rename variables; otherwise use ncl_convert2nc (version 4.2.0.a034 or later)
requires user to define file contents before data are written to file (just like writing via fortran or C)
user should preview GRIB1 or GRIB2 file with ncl_filedump
data values are written using the (/ and /) operator
contains a user defined function that eliminates repetitive tasks
changes names of dimensions to commonly used names (not required)
uses cd_calendar to change the units from "hours since 1800-01-01 00:00" to an integer date of the form YYYYMMDDHH

load "$NCARG_ROOT/lib/ncarg/nclscripts/csm/contributed.ncl"

function rdVar4D (f:file, vName:string, time:integer) 
; read GRIB 4D variable and assign new dimension names
begin 
  var = f->$vName$; read variable
  var!0 = "time"     ; assign 'conventional' dimension names 
  var!1 = "lev"  
  var!2 = "lat"  
  var!3 = "lon"
  var&time = time    ; assign time coord variable                 
  return(var)                                                             
end    

begin  
;***********************************************
; read in data from GRIB file
;***********************************************
   gribdir  = "./"
   gribfil  = "monthly_1979_1151.tar.grb"
   grib_in  = addfile(gribdir+gribfil, "r")

  ;print( grib_in )                       ; file overview

   TIME  = grib_in->initial_time0_hours   ; time as "hours since"  
   lat   = grib_in->g0_lat_2              ; latitude          
   lon   = grib_in->g0_lon_3              ; longitude           
   lev   = grib_in->lv_ISBL1              ; level

   lat!0 = "lat"                          ; assign new dimension name
   lon!0 = "lon"                          
   lev!0 = "lev"                                                          
   TIME!0= "time"

   time  = cd_calendar(TIME, -3)          ; change to date syntax
   time!0= "time"
   time@units = "yyyymmddhh"

   TMP   = rdVar4D (grib_in, "T_GDS0_ISBL" ,time)
   Z     = rdVar4D (grib_in, "Z_GDS0_ISBL" ,time) 
                                    
;***********************************************
; create parameters and output file
;*********************************************** 
    ntim  = dimsizes(time)              
    klev  = dimsizes(lev)                                                
    nlat  = dimsizes(lat)                                                
    mlon  = dimsizes(lon)                                                
         
    system("'rm' -f monthly_1979_1151.nc")     ; remove pre-exit file (if any)
    ncdf  = addfile("monthly_1979_1151.nc","c")  ; create output file  

;***************************************************
; define file options [Version a033]
;***********************************************
    setfileoption(ncdf, "prefill", False)
    setfileoption(ncdf, "suppressclose", True)
    setfileoption(ncdf, "definemode", True)

;***********************************************
; assign file attributes 
;***********************************************                     
    fAtt               = True                        
    fAtt@title         = "GRIB-to-netCDF: Efficient Approach"          
                
    fAtt@source_file   = "monthly_1979_1151.tar.grb"
    fAtt@Conventions   = "None"                                        
                
    fAtt@creation_date = systemfunc("date")  
    fileattdef( ncdf, fAtt )            

;***********************************************
; predefine coordinate information                
;***********************************************
    dimNames = (/"time", "lat", "lon",  "lev" /)                        
    dimSizes = (/ ntim ,  nlat,  mlon,  klev  /)                         
    dimUnlim = (/ True , False, False,  False /)                         
    filedimdef(ncdf, dimNames  , dimSizes,  dimUnlim )                   
    filevardef(ncdf, "time"  , typeof(time), getvardims(time) )            
    filevarattdef(ncdf, "time", time)                               
    filevardef(ncdf, "lev"  , typeof(lev) , getvardims(lev) ) 
    filevarattdef(ncdf, "lev", lev)  
    filevardef(ncdf, "lat", typeof(lat), getvardims(lat) )
    filevarattdef(ncdf, "lat", lat) 
    filevardef(ncdf, "lon", typeof(lon), getvardims(lon) ) 
    filevarattdef(ncdf, "lon", lon)      

;***********************************************
; predefine variable sizes
;*********************************************** 
    filevardef(ncdf,"TIME",typeof(TIME), getvardims(TIME) ) 
    filevarattdef(ncdf,"TIME",TIME) 

    filevardef(ncdf,"T",typeof(TMP), getvardims(TMP) ) 
    filevarattdef(ncdf,"T",TMP) 

    filevardef(ncdf,"Z",typeof(Z),getvardims(Z) )
    filevarattdef(ncdf,"Z",Z)

;***********************************************
; terminate define mode: not necessary but for clarity
;*********************************************** 
    setfileoption(ncdf, "definemode", False) 

;***********************************************
; write data values to predefined locations  
; (/ .../) operator transfer values only                     
;***********************************************
    ncdf->time   = (/ time /)     
    ncdf->lev    = (/ lev /)                                               
    ncdf->lat    = (/ lat /)                                              
    ncdf->lon    = (/ lon /)                                              

    ncdf->TIME   = (/ TIME/)
    ncdf->T      = (/ TMP /)                                              
    ncdf->Z      = (/  Z  /)
end

View the results using ncl_filedump, or "ncdump" from the netCDF suite of tools:

    ncl_filedump monthly_1979_1151.nc

    ncdump -h monthly_1979_1151.nc

Click here for sample output.