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Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
National Weather Service (NWS),
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA),
U.S. Department of Commerce
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WaterWatch -- Current water resources conditions
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
U.S. Department of the Interior
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River Watch - Mississippi River Basin
National Weather Service (NWS),
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA),
U.S. Department of Commerce
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Current River Conditions (California)
California Data Exchange Center (CDEC),
Department of Water Resources (DWR),
State of California
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NAM SL Pressure/Precipitation Forecasts
Unisys Weather, Unisys Corporation
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River Forecast Centre (RFC)
Water Stewardship Division, Ministry of Environment,
Government of British Columbia (Canada)
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FRICS -- A RIVER INFORMATION SYSTEM IN JAPAN
Fumio Yoshino,
International Hydrological Programme (IHP)
of UNESCO for Latin America and the Caribbean,
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
United Nations (UN)
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Our atmosphere is constantly changing. The state of the atmosphere and how
it changes is what we call weather. The immense ocean of air
in which we live has the ability to reconfigure itself quickly on many
different scales; this serves as a source of wonder, pleasure,
vexation and danger.
Because weather can influence our lives so greatly, it has become necessary
to make attempts to accurately predict it. During the last century
weather prediction grew from little more than an art into a well-recognized
discipline within the now-robust science of meteorology (the study of the
atmosphere and its components). Prediction, by its very nature, is less
than perfect; because of this imperfection and the significant effects
weather exerts on our daily lives, the weatherman has become
fodder for jokesters, skeptics and complainers. During my tenure as U.S.
Air Force meteorologist and weather forecaster, our jovial response to the
critics became, “Our forecast is guaranteed. If it fails for any
reason, we’ll give you a new one.”
The quality of weather prediction has improved dramatically over the
last 30 years. Numerical models, satellite imagery, doppler radar and
other state-of-the-art technologies have revolutionized the field of
meteorology. Nearly gone is the moniker of weatherman,
in great part because many of today’s meteorologists are women.
Forecasting the weather is still far from perfect, but great strides have
been made — especially in the arenas of severe storm prediction and
tropical meteorology. As accuracy has improved, respect has grown for
meteorologists and their role as protectors of the public interest.
Authored by Kenneth L. Anderson.
Original article published prior to 13 April 2003, updated 29 March
2004.
Follow links to the right to learn more about river conditions within the continental U.S,
including Alaska. Detailed river flood stage information and
hydrologic forecasts are provided by the National Weather Service.
We include precipitation forecasts and amounts as well as hydrology data,
plus general information on hydrology and flood.
At the left margin, Related Links address topics of interest
pertaining to weather that may result in flood, weather watches and warnings,
severe weather and weather equipment. View the
Weather & Meteorology SiteMap
for a complete list of meteorology and weather-related topics.
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