National Weather Service Professional Development Series Professional Competency Unit

Description of Job Duty Competency to be Achieved

Implement calibrated basins in Operational Hydrologic Forecast System.

Description of Need

River and stream basins that will be modeled in an operational environment require real-time precipitation, temperature, and river and reservoir data as minimum inputs. Often those data come from different locations from those used to calibrate the hydrologic models. Also, many hydrologic models use lumped parameter inputs of precipitation and temperature that are derived from point data. The hydrologist must define the relationship between point data and lumped model inputs and define the operational files using real-time data. Also the hydrologist must perform all needed tasks to prepare the operational forecast system and related database tables.

Specific Job Task Skills and Knowledge

1. Know the difference between operational MAP and MAT and those used in calibration.

2. Demonstrate the ability to select appropriate station weights for MAPs and MATs where necessary.

3. Set up new stations using such tools as Hydrobase and PPINIT.

4. Define new basins, MAPs, MAPEs, MAPXs, FMAPs and MATs using PPINIT.

5. Demonstrate the ability to use FCINIT for defining segments, forecast groups, carryover groups, and rating tables.

6. Know how to set up a segment, where to add operations, and how to redefine segments in the OFS.

Instructional Components

Instructional Component 10.1: - Workshop: NWSRFS Calibration. A portion of this workshop covers implementation of calibrated or recalibrated basins into the NWSRFS OFS.

Instructional Component 10.2 - Workshop: Basic NWSRFS Operational Forecast System. This workshop focuses on system basics - i.e. what is NWSRFS and how the OFS fits into the overall system. Subjects covered include: types of input data needed, basin and station definitions, preprocessor functions, and specification of the sequence of hydrologic modeling operations. Execution of the OFS, reviewing results with the Interactive Forecast Program (IFP), and making run-time modifications are also covered.

Instructional Component 10.3 - Documentation: Section VI.1-Introduction to User Information for the Forecast Systems introduces the three main systems of the NWSRFS OFS (Operational Forecast System, Ensemble Streamflow Prediction System, and Flash Flood Guidance System) and the relationships between these systems.

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