NOAA’s National Weather Service launched a new website: The National Water Prediction Service. This new hub for water data, products and services combines local and regional forecasts with water data and new national level capabilities, such as flood inundation maps and the National Water Model.
"This online water hub is modern and flexible — providing information to help our partners and the public make sound decisions for water safety and management," said Ed Clark, director of NOAA’s National Water Center. “The new site leverages modern software, geospatial technology and cloud infrastructure, vastly improving the customer experience before, during and after extreme water events such as floods and droughts.”
Key features integrated into the National Water Prediction Service website
- A new, dynamic and seamless national map with flexible options and expansive layers available to help analyze water conditions anywhere in the country.
- Improved hydrographs that are frequently updated, depict water level observations over the past 30 days and provide river flood forecasts up to 10 days in advance.
- The National Water Model, which provides 24 hour coverage, seven days a week hydrologic forecast guidance along 3.4 million river miles across the U.S., including river segments, streams and creeks that have no river gauges.
- Real-time, comprehensive Flood Inundation Maps, which are being implemented in phases, will cover nearly 100% of the U.S. by October 2026.
- An Application Programming Interface (API) has been added to the traditional geographic information system (GIS) data, which will allow customers to flow water information into their own applications and services.
National Water Prediction Service (NWPS) map showing River Gauge observations and forecasts and associated precipitation estimates for March 26, 2024. This map should not be used for decision making. (Image credit: NOAA)
NWS continues to improve the essential support services it provides to communities locally and nationwide as part of its transformation into a more nimble, flexible and mobile agency that works hand-in-hand with decision-makers. The National Water Prediction Service website provides tools that deliver actionable hydrologic information across all time scales to address the growing risk of flooding, drought and water availability, and enables partners and the American public to make smart water decisions.
