The NCEP production suite; present and future

A brief description of the present operational NCEP production suite of weather and environmental models will be given, with an outlook towards planned upgrades. This will be followed by a strategic outlook for the future model suite, with a focus on three issues. The first focus will be on community models and modeling, with a more efficient interaction between operations, NOAA research and academia; for many operational modeling systems, this approach has already resulted in a clear acceleration of model improvements. The second focus will be on the need for reanalysis and reforecast products, which has emerged in the last few years. The third focus will be on the re-design of the entire production suite. This summer, the UCACN Model Advisory Committee (UMAC) will start this process, with a goal to streamline and unify the operational model suite.