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Quantitative Precipitation Forecast, or QPF, is a prediction of precipitation amounts over an area. In this case, the area is that of the LMRFC. QPF is created for six hour increments for the next 72 hour periods at 12z and 00z and 54 hours at 18z and 06z. This is routinly done three times a day (00z, 12z, and 18z), but can be at 06z if the weather dictates . The resultant LMRFC QPF is then used as an input into the hydrologic model and river forecasts are issued based on QPF. |
The
LMRFC issues 72 hours of quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF)
throughout the year. For our routine river forecasts, only 12 hours
of QPF is normally used. Under certain conditions and based on specific
requests by our users, we will utilize 24 hours of QPF in them. A
full 72 hours of QPF is used as input to our river models to produce
local Significant River Flood Outlooks and National Significant River
Flood Outlooks. Therefore, the daily Significant River Flood Outlook
does not account for a full 5 days of QPF covering the LMRFC river
forecast area.
5-Day QPF for the United States can be found at http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/day1-5.shtml. |