NWS nowcast (short-term forecast) products

[Dan Robinson]

I've noticed that a few NWSFOs have stopped giving realtime human-observation info in their nowcast (short-term forecast) products. CRW/RLX started doing this late last year. Currently the nowcast text looks like it is cut-and-pasted directly from the first entry in the zone forecast. Before, the mets would enter their own nowcasts whenever active weather was beginning to affect our CWA. For instance, if storms were moving in, the mets would give a brief synopsis of the situation in the nowcast. There would be no nowcast (short-term forecast) product unless there was active/notable weather about to affect us. Now, the nowcast product is in an 'always on' mode with just the zone forecast-like text.

I was wondering if this was a change we'll be seeing more of across the country, or if each NWSFO can decide how they handle the short-term forecast products.

 

[Chris Geelhart]

I was wondering if this was a change we'll be seeing more of across the country, or if each NWSFO can decide how they handle the short-term forecast products.
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This may be just a local office policy.

I did some poking around, and found some information on RLX's "simplification" of the zone forecast product ( in their winter newsletter , page 3). It could be they are issuing this short-term forecast format to put in some of the more detailed information that used to be in the ZFP.

NWS directive 10-517 (Multi-Purpose Weather Products Specification) has the general procedures for issuing the short term forecasts.

Chris G.