The tool’s forecasts are designed to help mariners better understand the present and future state of water levels, currents, and other oceanographic variables—like temperature and salinity—in a coastal area. The predictions are used to support safe and efficient marine navigation, hazardous spill response, search and rescue operations, and marine resource management.
This new tool was developed in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems, and with contributions from partners in the modeling community. As such, the SSCOFS, which uses recent and real-time data to issue nowcasts and short-term forecasts, is the first Operational Forecast System to be developed by an external partner and implemented into operations by NOAA.
This new forecast tool is critical to coastal communities and users because it provides timely, authoritative information on changing meteorological and ocean conditions.