Editing National Weather Service (section)

==Forecast sub-organizations==
[[Image:NDFD-sample-max-temp.png|right|200px|thumb|Sample maximum temperature map from the NDFD.]]

The NWS, through a variety of sub-organizations, issues different forecasts to users, including the general public. Although, throughout history, text forecasts have been the means of product dissemination, the NWS has been using more forecast products of a digital, gridded, image or other modern format.<ref name="NWSstratplan">{{cite web|title=NWS Strategic Plan PDF Overview|url=http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/files/strategic_plan.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425094006/http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/files/strategic_plan.pdf|archive-date=April 25, 2012|access-date=December 11, 2012|website=NWS Strategic Plan – 2011|publisher=National Weather Service}}</ref> Each of the [[List of National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices|122 Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs)]] send their graphical forecasts to a national server to be compiled in the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD).<ref name="NDFDhome">{{cite web|title=NDFD Home Page|url=http://www.weather.gov/ndfd/|website=National Digital Forecast Database|publisher=National Weather Service|date=November 8, 2008|access-date=December 19, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216160156/http://www.weather.gov/ndfd/|archive-date=December 16, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> The NDFD is a collection of common weather observations used by organizations and the public, including precipitation amount, temperature, and cloud cover among other parameters. In addition to viewing gridded weather data via the internet, users can download and use the individual grids using a "GRIB2 decoder" which can output data as [[shapefile]]s, [[netCDF]], [[GrADS]], float files, and comma-separated value files.<ref name="NDFDtech">{{cite web|title=NDFD Database Contents|url=http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ndfd/technical.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040731113948/http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ndfd/technical.htm|archive-date=July 31, 2004|access-date=December 11, 2012|website=National Digital Forecast Database|publisher=National Weather Service}}</ref> Specific points in the digital database can be accessed using an [[XML]] SOAP service.

===Fire weather===
{{See also|Wildfire}}

The National Weather Service issues many products relating to wildfires daily. For example, a Fire Weather Forecast, which have a forecast period covering up to seven days, is issued by local WFOs daily, with updates as needed. The forecasts contain weather information relevant to fire control and smoke management for the next 12 to 48 hours, such as wind direction and speed, and precipitation. The appropriate crews use this information to plan for staffing and equipment levels, the ability to conduct scheduled controlled burns, and assess the daily fire danger. Once per day, NWS meteorologists issue a coded fire weather forecast for specific [[United States Forest Service]] observation sites that are then input into the [[National Fire Danger Rating System]] (NFDRS). This computer model outputs the daily fire danger that is then conveyed to the public in one of five ratings: low, moderate, high, very high, or extreme.<ref name="nfdrs">{{cite web|title=National Fire Danger Rating System|url=http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sew/fire/olm/nfdrs.htm|website=NWS Western Region Headquarters|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}</ref>

The local Weather Forecast Offices of the NWS also, under a prescribed set of criteria, issue Fire Weather Watches and [[Red Flag Warning]]s as needed, in addition to issuing the daily fire weather forecasts for the local service area. These products alert the public and other agencies to conditions which create the potential for extreme fires. On the national level, the NWS [[Storm Prediction Center]] issues fire weather analyses for days one and two of the forecast period that provide supportive information to the local WFO forecasts regarding particular critical elements of fire weather conditions. These include large-scale areas that may experience critical fire weather conditions including the occurrence of "dry thunderstorms", which usually occur in the [[Western United States|western U.S.]], and are not accompanied by any rain due to it [[virga|evaporating before reaching the surface]].<ref name="spcfire">{{cite web|title=SPC and its Products|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/about.html#FireWx |website=Storm Prediction Center|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date=February 22, 2013}}</ref>

[[Image:NWS-IMET-deployed.jpg|right|150px|thumb|NWS IMET Chris Gibson taking observations in the field.]]

State and federal forestry officials sometimes request a forecast from a WFO for a specific location called a "spot forecast", which are used to determine whether it will be safe to ignite a [[prescribed burn]] and how to situate crews during the controlling phase. Officials send in a request, usually during the early morning, containing the position coordinates of the proposed burn, the ignition time, and other pertinent information. The WFO composes a short-term fire weather forecast for the location and sends it back to the officials, usually within an hour of receiving the request.<ref name="spcfire" />

The NWS assists officials at the scene of large wildfires or other disasters, including [[HAZMAT]] incidents, by providing on-site support through Incident Meteorologists (IMET).<ref name="flagstaffincident">{{cite web|title=NWS Flagstaff|url=http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz/office/imetpage.php?wfo=fgz |website=NWS Western Region Headquarters|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date=February 22, 2013}}</ref> IMETs are NWS forecasters specially trained to work with Incident Management Teams during severe wildfire outbreaks or other disasters requiring on-site weather support. IMETs travel quickly to the incident site and then assemble a mobile weather center capable of providing continuous meteorological support for the duration of the incident. The kit includes a [[cellular phone|cell phone]], a [[laptop computer]], and communications equipment, used for gathering and displaying weather data such as satellite imagery or numerical forecast model output. Remote weather stations are also used to gather specific data for the point of interest,<ref name="flagstaffincident" /> and often receive direct support from the local WFO during such crises. IMETs, approximately 70 to 80 of which are employed nationally, can be deployed anywhere a disaster strikes and must be capable of working long hours for weeks at a time in remote locations under rough conditions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=15 advantages and disadvantages of remote work |url=https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/15-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-remote-work |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=WhatIs.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== Aviation ===
The NWS supports the aviation community through the production of several forecasts. Each area's WFO has responsibility for the issuance of [[Terminal Aerodrome Forecast]]s (TAFs) for [[airport]]s in their jurisdiction.<ref name="aviationweather.gov">{{cite web |title=AWC – Aviation Weather Center |url=http://aviationweather.gov/ |access-date=December 11, 2012 |publisher=National Weather Service}}</ref> TAFs are concise, coded 24-hour forecasts (30-hour forecasts for certain airports) for a specific airport, which are issued every six hours with amendments as needed. As opposed to a public weather forecast, a TAF only addresses weather elements critical to aviation; these include wind, [[visibility]], [[cloud|cloud cover]] and [[wind shear]].