The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has rolled out a new website with updated technology and information for water forecasting.
The new website, titled National Water Prediction Service (NWPS), was launched on March 27, 2024. It combines data and information from the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) and NOAA’s Office of Water Prediction.
The new website gives users the tools to make informed decisions on water-related matters, making it a great asset to people like stormwater professionals and engineers.
The new website includes features like a river gauge, water hazards, precipitation estimates, national water models, snow analysis and flood inundation. All of these features can be overlayed on an interactive map.
The website features up-to-date data so users can see live models and forecasts. It has the ability to compile data, integrate findings and receive updates for new tools. This will allow NOAA to incorporate fresh information for a better user experience that gives water professionals the tools they need to make complex water decisions.
The new features on the NWPS webpage render older tools almost obsolete. Previous hydrographs compiled data over the previous three days while the new tool compiles data over the past 30 days. This amount of data is great for making predictions, such as the river-gauge, which now predicts as much as a week in advance.
