Forecast
Type Guide
Point-n-Click
Currently experimental,
this suite of forecasts offers new and exciting ways of
presenting forecasts on a smaller scale, both temporally and
spatially. The forecasts are actually done by your Ft. Worth
National Weather Service forecasters! The data used for the
forecasts is created through our Interactive
Forecast Preparation System (IFPS).
Point-n-click forecasts
are on a more "neighborhood" type scale, as forecast
grid points are currently at a 5km spacing. This
"neighborhood" forecast may differ, at times, from the
County Averaged forecast, due simply to the smaller scale of
forecast parameters used to generate the text. Differences
between the Point-n-click forecasts and the County
Averaged forecasts may also occur since the text is
formatted from the data in slightly different ways. However, it
is important to note that even the County Averaged forecasts are
derived from the data the the forecaster had entered into the
IFPS system.
Currently the
"neighborhood", or Point-n-Click forecast, is
displayed, by default, from our main
homepage.
Point-n-Click also allows
us to offer exciting new ways to display forecast
elements. The Element
Forecast Meteorogram show various user selectable
forecast elements, on an hourly basis, based upon a gridded
data forecast point. The Digital
Tabular Forecast is similar to the Meteorogram, but
it shows the data in a different format.
The Element Forecast
Meteorogram |
The Digital Tabular
Forecast |
|
|
County
Averaged
County
Averaged forecasts are the official forecasts created by the
National Weather Service in Ft. Worth.
Forecast text is also generated by entering data through our Interactive
Forecast Preparation System (IFPS), but the
text is generated based upon groupings of counties where the
weather is expected to be similar. This may result in a slightly
different forecast than that from the Point-n-Click system. The
County Averaged forecast is simply reading our Zone
Forecast Product (ZFP) and breaking the forecasts back up to
the county level.
Digital (AFM)
The Digital
AFM is yet another way to display forecast parameters that
are generated by forecasters at the National Weather Service
Forecast in Ft. Worth. Similar to the Digital Tabular Forecast,
forecast elements are broken down to 3 hour snap shots for a
grouping of counties. Codes in the product make it look quite
similar to data that is output from computer forecast models.
The grouping of counties is the same that is used for the County
Averaged Forecast, which is to say the same as in the Zone
Forecast Product.
Graphical AFM
The Graphical
AFM decodes the Digital RDF product in a manner that is more
easily understood. It presents the forecast parameters with
graphical images and allow users to quickly get a more detailed
forecast. It to, however, is based upon groupings of counties.
This forecast is currently experimental.
Forecast
Images
Your Official National Weather
Service Forecast from Ft. Worth, Texas is actually derived by
forecaster images of sensible weather elements. This is done
through the Interactive
Forecast Preparation System (IFPS).
The Forecast
Images are actual copies (in .png format) of the images the
forecaster created to come up with all the forecasts for the
day. The images provide yet another way to view forecast
elements in higher resolution.
Aviation
The National Weather Service
Forecast office in Ft. Worth, Texas produces Terminal Aerodome
Forecasts (TAF's) for several airports across North Texas.
Currently we link the Aviation
section to our National
Aviation Weather Center. This allows pilots to view much
more weather information than is produced in the TAF products.
Fire Weather
Fire
Weather Forecasts are generated to assist other governmental
agencies in the protection of life and property. Governmental
agencies can use this section of forecasts to request spot
forecasts and to view other weather information they require.
|