National Centers for Environmental Prediction

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) is comprised of nine distinct Centers. These Centers are critical in national and global weather prediction by providing a wide variety of national and international weather guidance products. These National Centers consists of:

Aviation Weather Center (AWC)

The AWC provides aviation warnings and forecasts of hazardous flight conditions at all levels within domestic and international air space.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC)

Delivers real-time products and information that predict and describe climate variations on timescales from weeks to years thereby promoting effective management of climate risk and a climate-resilient society.

Environmental Modeling Center (EMC)

The Environmental Modeling Center develops and improves numerical weather, climate, hydrological, and oceanic predictions through programs of applied research in data analysis, modeling, and product development in partnership with the broader research community.

NCEP Central Operations (NCO)

NCEP Central Operations sustains and executes the operational suite of the numerical analysis and forecast models providing support to the NWS weather forecast offices. It also links all nine of the national Centers together via computer and communications-related services.

National Hurricane Center (NHC)

NHC provides official NWS forecasts of the movement and strength of tropical weather systems and issues the appropriate watches and warnings for the US and surrounding areas. It also issues weather outlooks and forecasts covering the tropical Atlantic and Eastern Pacific oceans.

Ocean Prediction Center (OPC)

OPC ensures the safety of the extensive commercial and recreational fishing, boating, and shipping activities with forecasts and warnings. They issue weather warnings and forecasts in graphic, text, and voice formats for the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC)

The Space Weather Prediction Center provides space weather alerts and warnings for disturbances that can affect people and equipment working in space and on earth.

Storm Prediction Center (SPC)

SPC provides tornado and severe weather watches for the contiguous United States along with a suite of hazardous weather forecasts, mesoscale guidance products, and a continuous watch on mesoscale atmospheric processes.

Weather Prediction Center (WPC)

WPC provides guidance, analysis, and forecast products, including quantitative precipitation forecasts, real-time weather model diagnostics discussions, and surface pressure and frontal analyses.