National Centers for Environmental Prediction

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The US National Centers for Environmental Prediction delivers national and global weather, water, climate and space weather guidance, forecasts, warnings and analyses to its Partners and External User Communities. These products and services are based on a service-science legacy and respond to user needs to protect life and property, enhance the nation's economy and support the nation's growing need for environmental information. It is part of the National Weather Service.

There are nine centers:

Aviation Weather Center provides aviation warnings and forecasts of hazardous flight conditions at all levels within domestic and international air space.
Climate Prediction Center monitors and forecasts short-term climate fluctuations and provides information on the effects climate patterns can have on the nation.
Environmental Modeling Center develops and improves numerical weather, climate, hydrological and ocean prediction through a broad program in partnership with the research community.
Hydrometeorological Prediction Center provides nationwide analysis and forecast guidance products out through seven days.
NCEP Central Operations sustains and executes the operational suite of numerical analyses and forecast models and prepares NCEP products for dissemination.
Ocean Prediction Center issues weather warnings and forecasts out to five days for the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans north of 30 degrees North.
Space Environment Center provides space weather alerts and warnings for disturbances that can affect people and equipment working in space and on earth.
Storm Prediction Center provides tornado and severe weather watches for the contiguous United States along with a suite of hazardous weather forecasts.
Tropical Prediction Center includes the National Hurricane Center and provides forecasts of the movement and strength of tropical weather systems and issues watches and warnings for the U.S. and surrounding areas.

[edit] New Building

Construction has started on a new building to house the headquarters for NCEP and its Office of the Director plus five of the centers. The new building will replace the current World Weather Building, located in Camp Springs, Maryland. The new building will be in College Park, Maryland. It will be part of M-Square, a new crossroad where government, private industry, technology and science converge to be one of the nation's largest research parks. The new 250,000 sq. ft. building will employ approximately 800 people. The other centers to reside in the facility are the Hydrometeorlogical Prediction Center (HPC), the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), the Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC), and NCEP Central Operations (NCO). The building is expected to open in 2008.