National Weather Service - Little Rock, Arkansas...IFPS

For years, the National Weather Service has been issuing text products. The Zone Forecast Product (ZFP), for example, is a text product that describes predicted weather conditions over the next 7 days for a county (or a group of counties). To look at a sample of a ZFP, click here.

While the ZFP does well to give a general picture of the expected weather, it does so in 12 to 24 hour blocks (i.e. "TONIGHT", "TOMORROW", etc). Wouldn't it be nice to have products that present the forecast in greater detail...like every few hours? And for a clear picture of how the weather might evolve, text doesn't always work. Some people need images to understand.

To generate more detailed text products, and to create colorful graphics...the Interactive Forecast Preparation System (IFPS) was developed.

Step 1: Creating Graphics

	The key word in IFPS is interactive; that is, forecasters at the National Weather Service interact with the system to create a whole new suite of text and graphical products.
In the picture: Chuck Rickard, a Senior Forecaster at the National Weather Service in Little Rock, prepares a forecast using the Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE)...a part of the Interactive Forecast Preparation System (IFPS).

Forecast Temperatures

Forecast Precipitation

In the pictures: Examples of temperature and precipitation graphics generated by National Weather Service forecasters using the Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE). Click the graphics to enlarge.

Much of the forecast preparation involves drawing in the Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE)...a part of IFPS. Forecast models are loaded into the system, with a set of default images (showing temperature, precipitation, wind and cloud trends) automatically generated. Meteorologists then look at the model data to decide where changes need to be made. The system allows forecasters to alter (or totally redraw) the default images.

NOTE: Modified or not, the images that are created do not stay in the GFE. Many of the images will be sent to the internet...giving people the opportunity to check out a forecast through visuals. So now if the forecast says "increasing clouds", the images will show where the clouds are coming from.

The goal is to make an effective graphical weather forecast for the next 7 days. As the images are edited, a digital database is created for the forecaster's area of responsibility (such as the Little Rock County Warning Area). For example, when a 90 degree isotherm (i.e. temperature line) is drawn, points along that line will be represented by the number "90" in the digital database.

Step 2: Generating Products

Once the graphical portion of the forecast is complete, it is time to generate text products (some of them highly detailed) using the newly created digital database. This is done with GFE Formatters.
In the picture: A close-up view of where the GFE Formatters are accessed. There are several product names displayed (such as "LITWRKZFP"...or a draft version of the ZFP), with buttons next to each name to run the formatters (that will create each product). Click the graphic to enlarge.

With a push of the button, the formatters will take information from the digital database to automatically compile products (i.e. no typing is required). For the ZFP, forecasters will group counties together on a map before the formatters are run. Each group will have similar forecast temperatures, precipitation chances, wind speeds/directions, and sky conditions.

Other automated products will include the Fire Weather Forecast (FWF) and the Coded Cities Forecast (CCF)...with very special Point Forecast Matrices (PFM) issued as well. For an example of a PFM, click here.

NOTE: Unlike the ZFP, which presents forecast information in chunks of time (12 to 24 hours), the PFM shows the weather changing in 3 hour intervals.

The PFM is a very detailed product, showing very specifically how meteorologists at the National Weather Service expect the weather to evolve.

Step 3: How Will it Look on the Web?

You may be wondering what the products created with IFPS will look like on the internet. For the most part, the products will be accessed through a menu, giving you the opportunity to look at the product you want (such as a temperature graphic) for a given valid time (such as 9 pm). Want to give it a try? For an example of how IFPS products will display on the web, click here.