Part
I
-
Mission
Connection
a.
Description
of
Product
-
The
National
Weather
Services
(NWS)
Revised
Digital
Forecast
(RDF)
product
is
an
optional
dynamic
product
displaying
various
forecasted
weather
parameters
at
3-hour,
6-hour,
and/or
12-hour
intervals
within
a
matrix
format.
When
produced
by
a
Weather
Forecast
Office,
the
RDF
covers
identical
forecast
areas
contained
in
the
valid
ZFP,
and
reflects
the
latest
expected
weather
conditions
through
Day
7.
b.
Purpose
-
Information
in
the
RDF
is
provided
to
customers
and
partners
as
supplemental
detail
and/
or
higher
resolution
detail
than
can
be
found
in
other
standard
NWS
products.
The
RDF
allows
for
rapid
visual
scanning
of
a
large
number
of
forecast
parameters/
values.
In
addition,
the
forecast
data
is
decodable
by
computers
for
those
who
wish
to
create
derived
products.
Through
the
RDF
product,
the
NWS
strives
to
increase
forecast
resolution,
improve
communication
with
the
public
and
hazards
community,
provide
customers
the
information
on
which
they
can
base
their
decisions,
and
increase
forecast
and
warning
accessibility.
c.
Intended
Audience
-
The
RDF
is
intended
for
use
by
large
volume
users
of
NWS
forecast
information,
the
emergency
management
community,
and
the
general
public.
d.
Presentation
Method
-
The
RDF
is
a
segmented
product
composed
of
alphanumeric
weather
forecast
characters
in
a
quasi-static
matrix
format.
e.
Feedback
Mechanism
-
We
are
always
seeking
to
improve
our
products
based
on
user
feedback.
An
OMB
approved
form
may
be
used
to
submit
comments
about
this
product.
It
is
available
on
or
within
the
web
site
containing
the
experimental
product.
or e-mail comments to: Douglas.Young@noaa.gov
Part
II
-
Technical
Description
a.
Format
&
Science
Basis
-
The
Revised
Digital
Forecast
(RDF)
product
is
composed
of
the
format
and
content
described
in
detail
in
National
Weather
Service
Instruction
10-503.
A
morning
example
of
an
RDF
segment
is
shown
in
Figure
1.
b.
Product
Availability
-
The
RDF
is
an
event-driven
product
and
may
be
issued
at
any
time.
However,
at
a
minimum
the
RDF
will
be
issued
twice
daily
to
remove
the
outdated
first
period
of
the
forecast.
These
mandatory
issuance
times
will
occur
no
later
than
4:00
a.m.
and
4:00
p.m.
local
time.
The
RDF
is
available
on
the
normal
NWS
dissemination
circuits
including
the
INTERNET.
c.
Other
Details
-
(1)
Revised
Digital
Forecast
Format
will
be
terminated
and
renamed
Area
Forecast
Matrices
during
2003,
become
an
operational
product
and
included
additional
temporal
resolution
of
elements.
(2)
This
product
is
created
using
the
Advanced
Weather
Interactive
Processing
System
(AWIPS)
Interactive
Forecast
Preparation
System
(IFPS)
software.
(3)
Refer
to
NWSI
10-503,
WFO
Public
Weather
Forecast
Products
Specification
for
a
technical
description
of
the
Area
Forecast
Matrices
product
(to
be
changed
from
Revised
Digital
Forecast
(RDF)
product.)
406 PM EDT SAT APR 15 2000 SUN 04/16/00 MON 04/17/00 EDT 15 18 21 00 03 06 09 12 15 18 21 00 03 06 09 12 15 18 21 00 03 06 POP 12HR 30 20 30 60 60 QPF 12HR .01-.10 0 .01-.10 .10-.24 0 MAX QPF .01-.10 0 .01-.10 .10-.24 0 SNOW 12HR 00-00 00-00 00-00 MN/MX 51 76 54 70 53 TEMP 67 68 65 61 56 53 52 60 69 73 71 65 60 57 56 61 66 67 DEWPT 52 52 52 53 52 51 51 53 53 52 51 51 51 51 51 52 51 50 RH 59 57 63 75 86 93 96 78 57 48 49 60 72 80 83 72 58 54 WIND DIR S SW SW SW S S -- SW W W S SE SE SE S S SW W WIND SPD 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 5 5 2 2 2 2 5 8 8 8 5 5 5 5 CLOUDS B2 OV OV OV B2 B2 B2 B1 CL CL B1 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 RAIN SHWRS C C C C C L L L L L L L L TSTMS C C C C \TUE 04/18/00\WED 04/19/00\THU 04/20/00\FRI 04/21/00\ EDT 09 15 21 03 09 15 21 03 09 15 21 03 09 15 21 03 09 POP 12HR 40 30 20 20 30 30 20 20 MN/MX 68 54 76 55 79 54 80 57 CLOUDS B2 B1 SC SC B1 B1 SC B1 RAIN SHWRS C C C C TSTMS C C
Table 1. The Revised Digital Forecast.