NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

How do we use the weather data maps we create?

In the past, our meteorologists had to type text versions of our forecasts word by word into a word processing program. This was a large job due to the wide range of forecasts our office issues and the 51 counties we serve. In addition, we had to compare our text forecasts in draft form over our computer system with surrounding NWS offices to make sure the forecasts on our borders matched up with their forecasts. This forecast was then sent via modem to the weather wire, internet, and our NOAA All Hazards Radio computer to reach our customers.

With the advent of computer-based weather forecast maps, coordination with surrounding NWS offices has become as easy as comparing colorful data maps on our computer screens. Issuing forecasts has also become much easier because the words are generated automatically by our computer using the weather data maps our meteorologists created. The computer looks at the appropriate weather maps stored in our database, creates the words and numbers for the forecast text, then sends the forecast to a word processing screen that allows us to make any last minute edits. Then the forecast is quickly sent out to our users.

Our customers now have the option of viewing our forecasts in both graphical form (as shown on the previous page), a blend of weather icons and text, and in the traditional text form. The weather data maps also allow us to easily put together a forecast based on the needs of our user versus a standard format. If a customer is interested seeing a forecast of hourly temperatures, humidity, and precipitation probability, they can have our computer generate forecasts with only those elements by pulling the data directly from our suite of weather data maps. Try it for yourself by clicking here to go to our interactive forecast generation page. Of special note, the weather data maps allows you to create a forecast for your specific location (down to a zip code or latitude/longitude level) versus the old method of viewing forecast text where the data has been averaged over an area as large as 7 counties.

Weather Forecast Operations Area.