NOAA/NWS Digital Services 1
NWS Forecast Evolution and Delivery
in a Digital Era
Glenn Austin
Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services
David Ruth
Office of Science and Technology
Silver Spring, MD
June 6, 2006
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 2
National Digital Forecast Database
• GOAL: Make NWS information available in digital form and available electronically.
• HISTORY: NDFD has been operational since 2004.
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 3
Grid Availability
• Data posted in WMO GRIB2 format at:– ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008001/...
• Decoder software:– Link: http://www.weather.gov/mdl/NDFD_GRIB2Decoder– Function: Allows download and conversion to:
• Shape files (compatible with ESRI)– Points, Simple polygons, Merged polygons
• netCDF• GrADS
– Lat/lon grids, Projected grids
• Float files• Comma Separated Values files
• Discussions underway with UNIDATA to host data
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 4
NDFD StatusNow available at ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008001/...
Experimental elements:• QPF• Snow Amount• Sky Cover• Significant Wave Height
Operational elements:• Maximum Temperature• Minimum Temperature• Temperature• Dew Point• Probability of Precipitation• Weather• Wind Direction• Wind Speed• Apparent Temperature • Relative Humidity
ST.opnl/DF.gr2/DC.ndfd/ ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndfd/
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 5
Summer Releases
• TPC Probability of Tropical Cyclone Wind Speeds (July) (TIN-xx issued June x)
• Experimental Real-Time Mesoscale hourly Analysis (August) (TIN-24 issued May 2)
• Day 1-3/4-7 file split (September) (TIN-30 issued May 9)
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 6
National Digital Forecast DatabaseTo be available at ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008001/...
Developmental elements (from WFOs):• Hazard grids• Wind gusts• Maximum Relative Humidity• Minimum Relative Humidity
ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndfd/
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 7
National Digital Forecast DatabaseTo be available at ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008001/...
Developmental elements (from TPC):• Probability of Tropical Cyclone Wind Speeds >34kt (incremental)• Probability of Tropical Cyclone Wind Speeds >34kt (cumulative)• Probability of Tropical Cyclone Wind Speeds >50kt (incremental)• Probability of Tropical Cyclone Wind Speeds >50kt (cumulative)• Probability of Tropical Cyclone Wind Speeds >64kt (incremental)• Probability of Tropical Cyclone Wind Speeds >64kt (cumulative)
ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndfd/
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 8
Tropical Cyclone Surface Wind Speed Probability
Hurricane Wilma – Oct 2005
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 9
National Digital Forecast DatabaseTo be available at ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008001/...
Developmental elements (from SPC):• Probability of Tornadoes• Probability of Hail• Probability of Severe Storm Winds• Probability of Significant Tornadoes• Probability of Significant Hail• Probability Significant Severe Storm Winds• Total Probability of Severe Storms
ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndfd/
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 10
National Digital Forecast DatabaseTo be available at ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008001/...
Developmental elements (from CPC):• Probability of 8-14 Day Temperature Above Normal• Probability of 8-14 Day Temperature Below Normal• Probability of 8-14 Day Precipitation Above Normal• Probability of 8-14 Day Precipitation Below Normal• Probability of 30 Day Temperature Above Normal• Probability of 30 Day Temperature Below Normal• Probability of 30 Day Precipitation Above Normal• Probability of 30 Day Precipitation Below Normal• Probability of 90 Day Temperature Above Normal• Probability of 90 Day Temperature Below Normal• Probability of 90 Day Precipitation Above Normal• Probability of 90 Day Precipitation Below Normal
ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndfd/
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 11
National Digital Guidance DatabaseNow available at ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008001/...
Operational Air Quality elements:
• 1 hour Ozone Concentration (3x)
• 8 hour Ozone Concentration (3x)
Experimental Gridded MOS elements:• Maximum Temperature• Minimum Temperature• Temperature• Dew Point• Probability of Precipitation 06h• Probability of Precipitation 12h• Probability of Thunderstorms 03h• Probability of Thunderstorms 06h• Probability of Thunderstorms 12h• Relative Humidity
Experimental Air Quality elements:
• 1 hour Surface Smoke• 1 hour Vertical Smoke Integration
• 1 hour Ozone Concentration (5x)
• 8 hour Ozone Concentration (5x)
ST.opnl/DF.gr2/DC.ndgd/
ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndgd/
ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndgd/GT.mosgfs/
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 12
Ozone for full CONUS
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 13
National Digital Guidance DatabaseTo be available at ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008001/...
Experimental Gridded MOS elements:
Wind Direction Wind Speed Wind Gusts Sky Cover Precipitation Type Quantitative Precipitation – 06h Quantitative Precipitation – 12h Snowfall Amount
ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndgd/GT.rtma/ ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndgd/GT.mosgfs/
Experimental Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis elements:
Temperature Dew Point Wind Direction Wind Speed Quantitative Precipitation Sky Cover
Experimental Hurricane Storm-Surge Probabilities:
Probability of Exceeding 5 feet 10 Percent Exceedance Height
ST.expr/DF.gr2/DC.ndgd/GT.slosh/
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 14
NDFD Capabilities in Development
• Day 1-3/Day 4-7 file split• XML to query which grids have changed by
element, projection, and WFO• Experimental grids for Alaska• Hourly grids on day 1• 2.5 km grids• Analysis of Record• Probability grids that quantify uncertainty
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 15
Technical Workshop for Digital Product Users
• PROPOSED DATE: November 2006
• LOCATION: Silver Spring, MD
NOAA/NWS Digital Services 16
Questions, Comments?
301-713-1858 x150
301-713-1768 x157
http://weather.gov/ndfd/
