I don't really understand why the GFS is run 4 times a day, but it is.  Shorter range mesoscale models, I do understand why more frequent model runs are important.   But I just saw a red tagger in a Northeastern subforum trash the 18Z run on the basis it was an 18Z run.  On a system still over the Pacific.  I know the balloons are important, every bit of data helps, but it seems like there is such a huge gap over the oceans, most of the planet, that even the 0Z and 12Z models are mostly fed da