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<br />85 <br /> <br />Weather Forecast Office <br />Hydrologic Forecast System <br /> <br />Larson <br /> <br />t <br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br />I <br /> <br />The WHFS features an integrated data management approach, employing <br />a relational database management system (RDBMS) for storing the large <br />volume of data necessary for hydrologic forecast operations. The WHFS <br />database incorporates many data elements ranging from modernized data sets, <br />such as NEXRAD precipitation estimates and GOES satellite imagery, to <br />more traditional hydrologic data sets provided by automated reporting stations <br />and cooperative observers. <br />The supporting River Forecast Center (RFC) is the primary source of <br />hydrologic guidance for the WFO, providing river stage forecasts on a daily <br />and event-oriented basis. RFC guidance is also provided in the form of <br />modernized flash flood guidance products that indicate current soil moisture <br />conditions and associated rainfall thresholds necessary to induce flood <br />activity . <br />A collection of tools is provided within WHFS to manage the WFO <br />hydrologic program through a series of graphical user interfaces. HydroBase, <br />one of these tools, provides a method of managing station data, allowing for <br />definition of various station attributes. Much of the data utilized by forecast <br />applications are also defined through HydroBase. Program management tools, <br />such as automated generation of monthly flood stage reports, are also part of <br /> <br />HydroBase <br /> <br />WHFS Capabilities <br /> <br />During a typical hydrologic situation, the forecaster may employ many <br />aspects of the WHFS in combination to evaluate the current hydrologic <br />conditions. evaluate data, and issue products notifying the public of flood <br /> <br />situations. <br />The Stage and Display (HydroView) application provides the forecaster <br />with a method of monitoring and tracking the situation in real time. This <br />application provides a geographic depiction of the WFO County Warning <br />Area (CW A) with the ability to overlay an array of Hydrometeorological <br />data. Station icons may be overlaid in combination with hydrologic or <br />geopolitical boundaries such as rivers, river basins, county outlines, or major <br />towns and highways. River station icons are color coded to indicate the <br />proximity of the latest observation to action or flood stage. Precipitation <br />stations are color coded to represent a precipitation accumulation for a <br />selected time duration. This display is automatically refreshed at 15 minute <br />