National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in the effort to build a Weather-Ready nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water, and climate events.

With 122 Weather Forecast Offices, 13 River Forecast Centers, nine National Centers, and other support offices, the NWS collects and analyzes more than 76 billion observations and releases about 1.5 million forecasts and 50,000 warnings each year. Forecasters build their forecasts with observations from surface stations, weather balloon readings and satellite data that feed numerical weather, water and climate models whose output is analyzed and scrutinized using individual scientific expertise. Forecasters communicate this information and potential impacts to the public, emergency managers, and other core partners to help make decisions that save lives and protect property.