NOS Hydrodynamic Model Outputs of Operational Forecast System (OFS)

NOAA develops, operates and maintains a national network of operational nowcast and forecast hydrodynamic modeling systems referred to as Operational Forecast Systems (OFS) to further support its mission goals and priorities for safe navigation and understanding environmental conditions. The OFS have typically been the result of collaborations within the National Ocean Service (NOS). However, critical partners in NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), other government agencies and academia have also resulted in the implementation of an OFS. Looking ahead, NOS will continue to work with its external research partners to enhance its modeling capabilities. An OFS consists of the automated integration of observing system data streams, hydrodynamic model predictions, product dissemination and continuous quality control monitoring. State-of-the-art numerical hydrodynamic models driven by real-time data and model forecast guidance form the core of these end-to-end systems.

The models generate nowcast and forecast guidance outputs for four environmental parameters: water levels, water temperatures, salinity and currents. The web pages display time series and animations of the aforementioned four parameters along with the NWS forecasted winds used to force the latest OFS nowcast and forecast runs.

The OFS are implemented in critical ports, harbors, estuaries, the Great Lakes and coastal waters of the United States, and join NOS' operational oceanographic capabilities to form a national backbone of real-time data, tidal and tidal current predictions, data management and operational modeling. The OFS provide nowcast and short-term (0 - 120 hour) forecast guidance.