New Marine Hazards product gives mariners a longer outlook

The Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) rolled out its experimental Week 2 Marine Hazards Outlook in mid-March, providing guidance about the chance of certain wave heights and wind speeds at longer lead times. Because of the demand for information about wind and wave hazards beyond the upcoming week, OPC meteorologists researched how skillful such forecasts would…

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UFS Insights Issue #6 released

The sixth issue of UFS Insights, a collaborative effort between NOAA’s Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC) and the Unified Forecast System (UFS) community, is available to read here. The News and Insights section provides details about: You can subscribe to the UFS Insights newsletter and read past UFS Insights here.

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Introducing WPO’s ‘PART’ Program

WPO’s Research Transitions team is now the Portfolio Analysis and Research Transitions (PART) Program as it takes a more integrated approach to transitioning research into practice. PART’s primary role in the office involves active coordination across programs within WPO, such as identifying where research in one area connects with another. “This broader view will enhance…

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Bringing storm surge to virtual reality

A new virtual reality simulation shows people why coastal evacuation orders are so important during storms. “Weather the Storm” was funded by the NOAA’s Weather Program Office and created through a partnership between the University of Georgia, Clemson University, Georgia Sea Grant, and South Carolina Sea Grant to improve storm surge preparation. The research team…

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HAFS provided accurate forecasts for Hurricane Helene and Milton

NOAA’s newest hurricane model, the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS), was instrumental in providing forecasters with accurate predictions of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton during the 2024 hurricane season, according to a recent story from the Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC). HAFS provided skillful track, rainfall, and wind forecasts. WPO supports HAFS through its…

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4th Symposium on Community Modeling and Innovation showcases innovation, collaboration, and the future of weather modeling

The 2025 American Meteorological Society (AMS) Annual Meeting hosted the 4th Symposium on Community Modeling and Innovation (4CMI) in early January in New Orleans. The Symposium brought together top minds in Earth sciences for an energetic exchange of ideas and was a hub for groundbreaking discussions on the future of forecasting. One standout session focused…

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Fire weather, Climate Testbed projects announced

The Weather Program Office is pleased to announce the fire weather and Climate Testbed projects awarded in the FY24 Notice of Funding Opportunity competition. These six projects, involving eight institutions, are set to receive a total of $3.74 million over the next two years. Fire weather projects will improve wildfire and smoke prediction by enhancing…

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WPO staff participate in 2025 AMS Annual Meeting

Weather Program Office staff participated in the American Meteorological Society (AMS) 2025 Annual Meeting, held January 11–16 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Staff from all three science divisions, in addition to office leadership, chaired or co-chaired 17 sessions, were speakers or panelists in 16 sessions, and presented in three poster sessions. These included a wide range…

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Climate Testbed Awards FY24

WPO’s Climate Testbed partnership with the National Center for Environmental Prediction supports research to improve the operational products at the Climate Prediction Center. We accomplish this by supporting research projects in the collaborative Climate Testbed, which are intended to demonstrate the potential for scientific advances from the external research community to improve operational climate predictions…

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