SIMULATING WAVES NEARSHORE (SWAN) MODELING EFFORTS AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) SOUTHERN REGION (SR) COASTAL WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES (WFOs)

The guidance from numerical weather prediction models is an integral part of the NWS forecast process. As technology continues to steadily advance, numerical models are no longer run exclusively on large, central computing facilities, but can now be run locally on computer workstations. This has resulted in an explosive increase in the use of local high-resolution models by NWS field offices during the past decade. Such models not only provide higher resolution guidance, but are also used as training tools or as a mechanism for collaboration with partners in research projects addressing local forecast problems. Furthermore, the models have not been limited to atmospheric modeling but also are used to model such fields as wave height and currents, useful for offices with marine responsibility.