Forecast-at-a-Glance
The forecast-at-a-glance is the "go to" place for your weather forecast from the National Weather Service. This page provides you with:
- A quick overview of the expected weather for the next seven days.
- A detailed, seven day forecast.
- Links to the latest weather hazards in your area.
- Current weather conditions near your location with links to weather history and other weather observation sites.
- A quick glance (click to enlarge) of your local Doppler radar image.
- A quick glance (click to enlarge) of a satellite image.
- A link to your local NWS Forecast Office as well as links to other information provided by that office.
Where to Start!
The easiest way to get to your local forecast is by looking for the "Local forecast by 'City, St'" search box. This search box is located either in the upper left hand side or in the dark blue bar just below the banner on most National Weather Service pages. Obtain your forecast by selecting "Go" after entering your:
Zip code |
City and State |
Partial Spellings |
Not sure of the spelling? Partial spellings is a unique Forecast-at-a-Glance feature. Just by entering just the first few letters of the location will create a list from which you can make a selection. When your forecast is displayed, BOOKMARK the page for future reference.
Learning Lesson: Forward Thinking
Forecast-at-a-Glance Features
Point forecastingIn this age of digitized forecasts, you can get a weather forecast from the National Weather Service generally within 2 miles (3.5 km) of your desired location. Since 2003, the National Weather Service has been producing forecast points on a grid with gridpoint located every 3 miles (5 km).What does this mean for you? Your forecast are now relevant to your location and no longer necessarily at the local airport or across regions that could exceed 2500 square miles. This also shows you from which NWS office the forecast was issued, the longitude, latitude, and height (above sea level) of the point you selected. |
Forecast-at-a-GlanceOne of the first things you will notice will be icons and a short one to three word forecast for your location of interest. This is intended to provide you a quick glance at the forecast.The time the forecast was issued is listed on the right side above the icons. The one or two word forecast is usually for the most hazardous weather anticipated during that forecast period. Should you see hazardous weather mentioned, check the detailed forecast for complete information below. |
Take it to the MAX! Learn more about point forecasts and the many different ways you can now look at your forecast.
Learning Lesson: If anyone can, icon
Hazardous Weather and the Detailed ForecastThe detailed forecast section serves two purposes. First, links are provided for all hazardous weather watches, warnings, advisories, and/or outlooks for your location. This section also provides the full text of the weather forecast for the next seven days. |
Current Weather ConditionsThe latest weather conditions near your location are displayed along with the time of observation. When the air temperature is less than 60°F, the wind chill value will be provided. For temperatures 60°F or greater, the heat index displayed.3 Day History is list of the weather for the past 72 hours at that location. From this summary you can also view the maximum and minimum temperatures as well as see the hourly, three-hourly, and six-hourly rainfall totals. More Local Wx is a link to up to an additional 10 weather observation sites in the region. Clicking on any observation name will also provide a "Two Day History" for that site. |
Learning Lesson: The Daily Ups and Downs
Doppler Radar and Satellite ImagesThese thumbnail images give you a quick glance at any weather on your local Doppler radar and an overview of the infrared Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) covering your region. Clicking either thumbnail will show the full image. |
Google Map LocatorThis map indicates the grid (red box) for which the weather forecast is valid. Clicking anywhere outside of the red box produces a new weather forecast for that grid.For additional forecasts, you can move the map using your mouse by left click and hold then dragging the mouse. Zooming into or out of the map can be accomplished using your mouse's scroll wheel. Alternately, you can reposition the map and/or zoom using the navigation arrows in the upper left corner of the map. Below the map is a link to a "kml" file to display the forecast and forecast area in a GIS program such as Google Earth. |
Graphical ForecastsThese are seamless mosaics of digital forecasts from NWS field offices working in collaboration with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). |
Additional InformationThese are links to provide additional relevant information. The number of links and information provided vary with each weather forecast office and are adapted to the needs of the local area.At a minimum, there will be two links; Forecast Discussion (the reasoning behind the forecast) and Local Climatology (past weather information for the area). One additional link is located in the upper left area above the Forecast-at-a-Glance icons. This is the link to the local weather forecast office that issued the forecast. |