Meeting notes and presentations are available for review. I highly recommend that you take a few minutes to go through the links in the notes and the PowerPoint presentations. This meeting was broadly attended by NWS constituents, including universities, NCAR, data centers, private sector, Emergency Managers, FAA, DOD, and others. There is a great deal of interest in this project! Unidata was mentioned on several occasions; references were made to LDM. I raised "push" technique for data distribution, rather than having data available exclusively via FTP servers. Allan Darling, indicated that consideration could be given to including the data in the CONDUIT data stream. NetCDF was recommended by one of the Weather Channel representatives. A Florida State University representative attended and told the audience that he has downloaded the software and is happy with the system - its ease-of-use.
The NWS will be making a limited number of forecast grids of weather elements (e.g., cloud cover, maximum temperature, etc) available in the NWS National Digital Forecast Database. The NDFD will contain much more data than the NWS was previously able to provide, at time scales as small as hourly, and space scales of a few kilometers. A few national graphics will be produced from the grids and will be available to the public. The NDFD has evolved from a collaboration with NWS Forecast Offices, NCEP, FSL, and NWS Headquarters. The database will allow customers to create a wide range of text, image and graphic products of their own. As it grows, a wider array of forecast elements will be provided. Plans for archiving are still being discussed, but the archive will be created at NCDC and will retain data for five years. This project is on a fast track at the NWS.
Linda Miller - lmiller@unidata.ucar.edu
External Liaison, Unidata
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research