Meteorological forecasts are created for a wide spectrum of uses in society. They range from forecasts of maximum expected temperature to predictions of rare and severe events that present a threat to human life and property. In order to provide the highest level of service possible, every forecast created should have a corresponding verification component that provides information concerning its performance. Both the creators and users of the forecast products benefit from such information, especially when the forecasts are verified thoroughly and systematically. To support such a premise, the Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) has developed an interactive, Web-based system called the Real-Time Verification System (RTVS) to support operational forecast verification. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the design of operational verification systems, the history of the RTVS, and some of the challenges associated with systematic, operational forecast verification. First, an introduction to verification systems is given followed by a history of the RTVS. Issues and challenges encountered with real-time verification are then discussed followed by a summary and plans for the future.
This publication was presented at the following:
Not available
Authors who have authored or contributed to this publication.