6.1
A high resolution, local point forecast model
Jainene Long, AccuWeather, Inc., State College, PA; and M. A. Steinberg
ULTRA LocalCast( is a model from AccuWeather that is available to television stations and other clients, to provide highly detailed and localized weather forecasts. Specific weather information is available for more than 7000 points in the United States and tens of thousands internationally, extending fifteen days into the future, including temperature, relative humidity, dew points, rainfall, snowfall, wind, ice, cloud cover, UV index, wind chill, heat index and other parameters.
The LocalCast model utilizes output from numerical models run by the U.S. National Weather Service and other met services, and develops a consensus of the model input, which is then reviewed and modified by AccuWeather meteorologists. These forecasts are then modified based upon a high-resolution elevation database. The resulting forecast data is geared specifically for surface weather conditions at specific locations. LocalCast utilizes a 1 km grid to provide forecasts that are much higher resolution than other models.
LocalCast is designed to automatically create animations showing forecasts of temperature, precipitation and other parameters on national, regional or local maps. LocalCast is updated every hour. Once the data is received, it takes only minutes until animations are ready for display.
With LocalCast, television weather presentations can show highly detailed, highly localized information such as animations of temperature forecasts analyzed at one-degree intervals across a DMA, graphs of 15-day local forecasts or the location and forecast evolution of the rain-snow line.
Session 6, Vendor Session: Part II
Thursday, 27 June 2002, 8:20 AM-9:05 AM
Next paper