National Digital Forecast Database Technical Workshop
Silver Spring, Maryland
August 13, 2003
Linda Miller
Meetingnotesand presentations
are available for review. I highly recommend that you take a few minutes to
go through the links in the notes and the PowerPoint presentations. This meeting
was broadly attended by NWS constituents, including universities, NCAR, data
centers, private sector, Emergency Managers, FAA, DOD, and others. There is
a great deal of interest in this project! Unidata was mentioned on several occasions;
references were made to LDM. I raised "push" technique
for data distribution, rather than having data available exclusively via FTP
servers. Allan Darling, indicated that consideration could be given to including
the data in the CONDUIT data stream. NetCDF was recommended
by one of the Weather Channel representatives. A Florida State University
representative attended and told the audience that he has downloaded the software
and is happy with the system - its ease-of-use.
NDFD Technical Workshop-8/13/03
The NWS will be making a limited number of forecast grids of weather elements
(e.g., cloud cover, maximum temperature, etc) available in the NWS National
Digital Forecast Database. The NDFD will contain much more data than the NWS
was previously able to provide, at time scales as small as hourly, and space
scales of a few kilometers. A few national graphics will be produced from the
grids and will be available to the public. The NDFD has evolved from a collaboration
with NWS Forecast Offices, NCEP, FSL, and NWS Headquarters. The database will
allow customers to create a wide range of text, image and graphic products of
their own. As it grows, a wider array of forecast elements will be provided.
Plans for archiving are still being discussed, but the archive will be created
at NCDC and will retain data for five years. This project is on a fast track
at the NWS.
Linda Miller - lmiller@unidata.ucar.edu
External Liaison, Unidata
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
