Changes to the North American Surface Analysis


Click image to view at full size As of June 3, 2003, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has modified the domain of its North American surface analysis. Specifically, coverage over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans has been reduced. As a consequence, the analysis is available approximately 15-30 minutes earlier. Details regarding the changes can be found by viewing the Public Information Statement.

The previous, larger domain was defined at a time when the North American analysis was distributed by facsimile and only one chart could be sent for each analysis time and this chart needed to meet the needs of a wide variety of users. With the availability of several different surface analyses from different centers, WPC no longer needs to delay the data-rich North American analysis in order to prepare an analysis over a large section of the adjacent oceans. See surface analysis frequently asked questions for more information.