Description & Purpose: The WPC National Forecast Charts provide an overview of expected weather for up to the next three days, with emphasis on certain hazardous and significant weather. They summarize forecasts from several NCEP Service Centers including the Storm Prediction Center (for severe thunderstorm and tornado outlooks), the National Hurricane Center (for tropical storm and hurricane forecasts), and the Weather Prediction Center (for information concerning heavy rainfall, flooding, winter weather, and general weather). With overlaid frontal forecasts, these displays serve as a good overview of the expected weather for the next two days.

The charts are intended for use by anyone who needs a non-technical display of the expected weather including the general public, the media, and the emergency management community. They show the large-scale weather features and associated significant weather. These charts are especially useful to travelers or others needing a big picture forecast. They are not intended to provide detailed local forecasts for any particular area. See http://weather.gov/ for access to detailed local NWS forecasts and warnings.

Availability & Product Issuance Times: The Day 1 (today's) National Forecast Chart is prepared twice daily at the WPC. The initial product is issued by 1000 UTC (5 a.m. EST), with an update provided at 2200 UTC (5 p.m. EST). The Day 2 and Day 3 National Forecasts are prepared once daily and issued by 1000 UTC (5 a.m. EST).

See http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/fntcodes2.shtml for an explanation of the symbols used to depict frontal systems on the National Forecast Charts and WPC surface charts.

Forecast sources for the significant hazards:

• Flash Flooding: WPC Excessive Rainfall Outlooks
• Severe Thunderstorms: SPC Convection Outlooks
• Heavy Snow and Freezing Rain: WPC Winter Weather Forecasts
• General Precipitation: WPC Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts
• Fronts: WPC Short Range Forecasts
• Tropical systems: NHC Forecasts