Bob Glahn
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service is beginning to prepare forecasts in an entirely different way. Instead of concentrating on textual forecasts, grids of forecasts are being prepared at each Weather Forecast Office (WFO), and these grids are being collected on a central server and mosaiced into national products. This new paradigm presents an entirely new level of service to NWS customers and partners, but also presents certain challenges, one of which is verification.
The Meteorological Development Laboratory hosted an Interactive Forecast Preparation System (IFPS)/National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) Verification Workshop in late January. Over 35 persons attended from NWS, OAR, NESDIS, and NCAR. The purpose of the Workshop was to discuss the role of verification and how it might be achieved in the age of digital, gridded, forecasts. A number of recommendations were made.
One of the recommendations was the formation of a National Verification Integrated Work Team. We have done that, and the first meeting will be held in early July. Members of the team are from all NWS Regions and some NWS Offices. Consultants will be invited as appropriate.
As co-lead of the IWT, with Bob Livezey, I will present the recommendations of the Workshop, and the results of the first meeting of the IWT.