Forecast-at-a-Glance
There is no better source for current or forecast weather information on the web than the forecast-at-a-glance webpage 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 going to the NWS Southern Region's homepage and entering your location of interest in the box at on the left-hand side (circled red) and clicking "Go". You can obtain your forecast by 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 forecasting
In this age of digitized forecasts, you now 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.
Take it to the MAX! Learn more about point forecasts and the many different ways you can now look at your forecast.
Forecast-at-a-Glance
One 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.
Learning Lesson: If anyone can, icon
Hazardous Weather and the Detailed Forecast
The 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 Conditions
The 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.
Two Day History is list of the weather for the past 48 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 Images
These 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.
Additional Information
These 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.