NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

The following information provides specifics on the left menu navigation bar.

Current Hazards:

• Watches/Warnings displays information on valid weather watches or warnings for the Louisville County Warning Area.

• Outlooks displays the current Hazardous Weather Outlook Products issued by the Louisville NWS.

• U.S. Hazards displays the more significant weather occurrences expected over the nation the next several days.  This is issued by the Climate Prediction Center.

• Submit Report Allows access to espotter, to submit severe reports to NWS Louisville

Current Conditions:

• Observations allows you to access current surface maps, a tabular summary of the weather across central Kentucky, and detailed observations from airport sites in Kentucky and surrounding areas.

• Satellite Images allows you to display several different types of satellite pictures. 

• Rivers & Lakes AHPS allows you to access the Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service (AHPS) for central Illinois.  AHPS displays current river stage observations, and river forecast information.

Radar Imagery:

• Central Kentucky displays the current radar image from Louisville, KY (KLVX).

• Southwest Indiana displays the current radar image from Evansville, IN (Klvx).

• Nationwide displays current radar imagery nationwide.  Within this image, you can click on an area to zoom in to the local NWS radar for that area.

Forecast Information:

• Local Area provides quick links to local area forecasts.  Information on local forecasts can also be accessed by clicking on specific points of the map on the main page.

• Aviation allows you access aviation-related forecasts via the Aviation Weather Center.

• Fire Weather is a collection of links that can be used by land management agencies to assist with prescribed and unexpected fires.

• Graphical displays the National Digital Forecast Database for the central Mississippi Valley (Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky).  From here you can page through various forecast parameters in graphical form.

• Interactive allows you to create your own forecast display in either text, tabular or graphical form.

• Weather (Wx) Activity Planner allows you to query the digital forecast database to determine specific weather parameters for your needs (for example, you can display the periods when the temperature will be between 40 and 50 degrees).

• Forecast Discussion shows the latest reasoning used by the meteorologists at the Lincoln NWS, in preparing their forecasts for the next several days.

• Model guidance provides access to other NWS sites that display computer model guidance for the U.S.

• Air Quality provides forecast air quality information for Illinois. Forecasts are provided in conjuction with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Rivers and Hydrology:

• Hydrological text products shows current hydrology (water) related text products, and when they were last updated.

• Flash Floods takes you to the Turn Around Don't Drown (TADD) homepage, the national NWS campaign to educate the public on the dangers of driving through flooded areas.

Climate:

• Past Weather is an interactive page that allows you to access weather data for central Illinois, and elsewhere in the nation.

• Records provides access to the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC.

• Prediction will send you to the Climate Prediction Center in Washington DC, where you can access long-range weather outlooks.

• State Climatologist provides access to the Illinois State Climatologist's office in Champaign.

• Midwest Climate provides access to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center in Champaign.

• Temp/Precip Maps contains an archive of observed weather (temperatures, precipitation, and snowfall) in graphical form for the last week.

• Svr Wx Climo access severe weather climatology statistics for central and southeast Illinois, including month-by-month reports of severe weather, tornado statistics, and more.

• Drought Info provides information on drought conditions affecting central and southeast Illinois.

Weather Safety:

• StormReady is a national program to assist communities and counties to prepare for severe weather.

• Weather Radio provides information on the NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) All-Hazards network that covers central and southeast Illinois.

• EMWIN is the Emergency Manager's Weather Information Network.  EMWIN allows emergency managers to access real-time weather data via satellite.

• Spotter Training displays the schedule of storm spotter training sessions around central and southeast Illinois.

• Several sections deal with how you can prepare for various weather hazards:  Severe Weather, Winter Weather, Lightning, and Heat.

Local Information:

• Our Office provides details on who works here at the Lincoln NWS, and where the office is located.

• Cooperative Observer (COOP) Program discusses the volunteer weather observer network, and news affecting the network.

• Our History provides a look back at the history of the NWS in central Illinois, including the former offices in Peoria and Springfield.

• Products Guide covers all of the products issued by the Lincoln NWS, the associated header information, and details on the purpose of each product.  This is mainly designed for media use.

• SWOP Program:  The Significant Weather Observer Program was designed to help the Lincoln NWS with real-time weather observations during adverse weather conditions.

• Weather Trivia displays interesting historical weather occurrences across Illinois, broken down by month.

• Public Information Statements are periodically issued by the Lincoln NWS.  Common uses are for storm damage surveys, NOAA Weather Radio transmission problems, and media advisories.