Where can I find forecasts for my area beyond 7 days?

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is the branch of the National Weather Service (NWS) responsible for issuing forecasts beyond 7 days.   Their Outlooks page provides links to each of their forecast products, including the 6-10 day and 8-14 day forecasts along with monthly and seasonal forecasts.  Seasonal forecasts are produced in 3-month intervals and extend out to over one year into the future.  So, if you are looking for a forecast for the upcoming winter (December-January-February) or summer (June-July-August), simply click on the appropriate link.  If you have any questions regarding their forecasts, please click here to e-mail them directly.

Where can I find historical or climatological weather data?

If you are looking for past weather information for a particular location, you have a couple of options.  The first is directly visiting the National Weather Service's Weather Forecast Office (WFO) that serves the desired location.  You can access any of the local offices through the NWS Home Page.  If you are not sure which is the correct WFO, type the city or town name in the white box located in the upper left-hand part of their home page and click GO.

If you are unable to find information from the local office, the National Climatic Data Center has a very comprehensive collection of data and will likely have whatever you need.  You can access them through the link above or call them at 828-271-4800.

How can I obtain past forecasts or analyses produced at the WPC?

Due to the large number of products issued and limited space, there are only a few products residing on our site that are more than one day old.  They are:

Off site, however, we archive most of our analyses and forecasts for several months.  If you are interested in a particular product, please click here to send us an e-mail.

How do I decipher the contractions/abbreviations used in your discussions?

We have a link on our site, Explanation of Contractions, that provides definitions for most of the contractions or abbreviations used in our discussions.  Included in this list are the two-letter state and territory abbreviations and contractions for the numerical models our forecasters utilize.

How do I interpret the symbols and station model plots on your analysis and forecast charts?

All of this information can be found by clicking on the links below.

For what time is the "current forecast" on your home page valid?

The valid time for this product varies slightly depending on the field for which you are interested.

Where can I get information about a career in meteorology?

Below are a few links that provide a good introduction into the field of meteorology, including educational requirements and career opportunities.

If you are interested in current employment opportunities in the NWS or NOAA, visit  http://www.jobs.doc.gov/ to begin your search.  A good source for employment opportunities outside of the federal government, visit the National Weather Association's Job Corner.