Products

Getting the weather information you need may seem like a puzzle. We can provide all the pieces! The National Weather Service (NWS) in Cleveland issues routine and non-routine forecast products 24 hours a day. We provide weather, water and climate data, forecasts, warnings, and impact-based decision support services for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy Click below for a list of links to our products. We hope you will find them useful. We also hope you will become familiar with our warnings and watches and react appropriately.

Products/Forecasts We Issue An interactive list of all the products/forecasts we issue with an option to get recent versions.

Explanation of Products A brief explanation of each product/forecast we issue.

Point and Click Forecast/Warning Map Get the latest forecast and warning information for your neighborhood. Just click the map for the location you want the weather information.

Graphical Forecasts All of our forecasts are also presented in a graphical format.

World Wide Weather - Forecasts from our counterparts around the world courtesy of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

North America and Central America

South America

Europe

Africa

Asia

Australia and the Pacific

The National Weather Service uses a variety of equipment, instruments, software and hardware to monitor and predict the weather.

Doppler Radar
National Weather Service Doppler Radar (also called the WSR-88D, which stands for Weather Surveillance Radar - 1988 Doppler (the prototype radar was built in 1988) or NEXRAD (for Next Generation Radar )) is perhaps the most vital component in our weather watch. The 88D uses a variety of scanning sequences to examine precipitation and displays the radar data as two and three dimensional images. Reflectivity and velocity are the most common images. Reflectivity is a function of drop size and density and essentially shows the intensity of the precipitation. Velocity is the speed of the precipitation as it moves toward or away from the radar. Precipitation going in different directions in close proximity can be an indication of rotation. You can see the Doppler Radar from Interstate 480 or Brookpark Road as you drive by Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Look near the NASA hanger on the west side of the Airport. Real time radar images are available on the blue menu bar on the front page of our web page.

Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)
Weather observations at the ground are obviously essential. We need to know the temperature, wind, amount of rain/snow etc. Certain observations are also essential for airport operations such as visibility and the height of the clouds. The National Weather Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Defense developed and utilyze a system of instruments to measure these various weather parameters. It is called the Automated Surface Observing Sysytem (ASOS). ASOS systems are almost always located at airports and report the weather conditions at least once an hour. ASOS observations, in addition to other ground level reports, are used to make the surface weather maps the meteorologists use here at the weather office.

Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS)
AWIPS is the computer workstation we use to display and analyze weather information. It can run a variety of software including Warngen, the software we use to issue warnings, and the Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE), the software we use to create the forecast. The system can display all forms of weather information (surface observations, upper air data, radar, satellite, hydrology, model guidance, etc) simultaineously on a time and geography-synched display. Most AWIPS workstations consist of 4 terminals, three of which primarily display graphics (pictured) and one terminal primarily for text. Data comes into the system via a satellite downlink and products/data created locally at Cleveland are sent back out through a land line.

NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) All Hazards
How would you like to be alerted every time there is hazardous weather in your area? You can be with NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards. NOAA Weather Radio is your 24-hour weather alert and hazard information source. We broadcast commercial-free National Weather Service weather information 24 hours a day on special FM frequencies. You have to have a radio that is designed to pick-up the frequencies, so ask your local electronic retailer for a NOAA Weather Radio. The Weather Radio also acts as the National Weather Service's input to the Emergency Alert System. The Weather Radio uses specific area message encoding to trigger a digitial or audio alarm that you can get at home, warning you of dangerous weather.

SKYWARN

The Skywarn^TM spotter program is a nationwide network of volunteers trained by the National Weather Service (NWS) to report significant weather. Anyone is welcome to participate and there is no prerequisite training necessary. Skywarn training is usually in the spring and the schedule will be posted on the web page. You have heard of "storm chasers"? This is your chance to become one!

CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network)
CoCoRaHS is a grassroots nationwide precipitation observing network. If you have a rain gage and are willing to report your rain and snow each day on line, you can participate! A dense precipitation network can identify localized areas of heavy rain, flash floods and heavy snow. Timely identification of these dangerous events can help save lives! It also makes for a great family activity!

Report severe weather, damage, or injuries/fatalities from the weather
If you have a weather emergency, call your local authorities (dial 911 in most communities). The best way to report severe weather is to join Skywarn. This gives you direct access to the Skywarn network and the National Weather Service (NWS). The easiest way to report severe weather to the Cleveland NWS is via social media (Twitter/FaceBook). You can always email severe weather information and photos to the Cleveland NWS although we will likely not get your report real time. Please remember, safety first! Do not call/email until you can so so safely!

Snow Observer Network
The National Weather Service in Cleveland collects snow observations twice a day, each morning and evening, when it snows. No special equipment is needed, just a ruler and the willingness to go out into the cold!

Cooperative Weather Observers
The National Weather Service has Observers at various locations to report weather data every day. The data is used for important weather records. Opportunities to become a cooperative observer are limited but be sure to express your interest. Getting involved and experience in one of the other reporting networks (above) is a good first step.

Student Volunteers
The National Weather Service offers student intern and cooperative study opportunities at various offices throughout the country. You must apply at the National Office. The National Weather service in Cleveland may have opportunities for a few student volunteers, especially in the summer. Students in the field of meteorology or a related field (including computer science) would be expected to work in the office for a certain number of hours/days, complete assigned tasks and become familiar with office procedures. To find out more information locally, please email the Meteorologist-in-Charge.

Jobs at the National Weather Service
Most jobs in the National Weather Service require a degree in Meteorology. There are other jobs in electronics, administration, and information technology. For a listing of all government jobs nationwide, please see the USA.gov website.

Study to Become a Meteorologist
You can become a meteorologist several ways. It is most common to get a degree (undergraduate and/or graduate) from an institution of higher learning that offers curriculum to meet basic NWS standards. Colleges and Universities also offer academic research opportunities. The military offers officer programs that will get you into meteorology. The media offers weather related jobs, some of which may not require a meteorology degree. Various private sector businesses offer weather related jobs which will require differing experience/academic skills.

Weather as a Hobby
Weather can be appreciated and enjoyed in many ways and with the internet and your local libraries your can learn much. Look for groups that have weather related activities including the American Meteorological Society which has a local Northeast Ohio Chapter and the National Weather Association among others.

Address:
NOAA National Weather Service
925 Keynote Circle
Suite 314
Brooklyn Heights, OH 44131

Phone:
(216) 416-2900 Mon - Fri 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM excluding holidays. There are menu options for the latest local forecast, climate data, and marine forecast. Dial 0 to talk to a forecaster or ask for information. If you call after hours, you can leave a voice mail message.

Email:
Click here to Email the National Weather Service in Cleveland

Hours:
The office is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If your group would like to schedule a tour, please email us with the address above.

Participate:
If you are interested in SKYWARN, student programs, or other participatory programs, please click here to go to the "Participate" page.