Floods are by far the most devastating of all weather-related hazards in the United States. The National Weather Service (NWS) is charged by Congress to provide river and flood forecasts and warnings to the public to protect life and property and to promote the nation's economic and environmental well-being (such as through support for water resources management). As part of a modernization of its technologies and organizational structure, the NWS is undertaking a thorough updating of its hydrologic products and services and the activities that produce them. The National Weather Service Modernization Committee of the National Research Council undertook a comprehensive assessment of the NWS' plans and progress for the modernization of hydrologic and hydrometeorological operations and services. The committee's conclusions and recommendations and their related analysis and rationale are presented in this report.
- Toward a New National Weather Service
- Copyright
- Preface
- Contents
- Executive Summary
- PRECIPITATION PROCESSING SYSTEM
- PRECIPITATION FORECASTS
- FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE
- WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE HYDROLOGIC FORECASTING SYSTEM
- DATA ARCHIVING, VERIFICATION, AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
- DATA SOURCE RELIABILITY
- PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
- PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES AND PERCEPTIONS
- AVAILABILITY OF ADVANCED WEATHER INTERACTIVE PROCESSING SYSTEM
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
- ADVISORY GROUPS
- QUALIFICATIONS
- OUTLOOK
- 1 Introduction
- FLOODS: A SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL HAZARD
- MODERNIZATION OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
- SCOPE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
- 2 Background
- HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY PRIOR TO THE MODERNIZATION PROGRAM
- HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY UNDER THE CURRENT MODERNIZATION PROGRAM
- Impact of New Technology
- Hydrometeorological Service Operations
- River Forecast Centers
- Weather Forecast Offices
- National Centers for Environmental Prediction
- Supporting Programs and Activities
- Environmental Monitoring
- Research and Development
- 3 Modernization of the National Weather Service Hydrologic Services: An Evaluation
- OBSERVATION INPUTS
- Precipitation Processing System
- Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts
- Snow
- Surface-Observing Networks
- TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
- National Weather Service River Forecast System
- Flash Flood Guidance
- Weather Forecast Office Hydrologic Forecast System
- Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System
- Advanced Hydrologic Prediction System
- OPERATIONS
- Weather Forecast Office and River Forecast Center Interactions
- Data Archiving, Verification, and Quality Assurance
- Data Source Reliability
- PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
- 4 Management and Operational Support
- LEADERSHIP
- Program Responsibilities and Perceptions
- Availability of Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System
- Responsiveness and Follow-Through Activities
- Funding
- RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TESTING, AND EVALUATION
- Research and Development
- Operational Test and Evaluation
- ADVISORY GROUPS
- FIELD INITIATIVES
- INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
- PERSONNEL
- STAFFING
- TRAINING
- 5 Epilogue: An Overall Assessment
- References
- Acronyms
- Glossary
- Appendix
- Summary of Survey Responses from National Weather Service Employees with Hydrologic Responsibilities
- PERSONNEL AGES AND SERVICE RECORDS
- TRAINING AND BACKGROUND
- FAMILIARITY WITH MODERNIZATION
- OUTLOOK
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