Our warning and forecast responsibility area consists of 32 counties in Northern Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania.
Responsibility consists of the following:
Issue Watches and Warnings
Make Forecasts
Perform many other tasks
As stated earlier, our main function is to provide information to safeguard life and property. The main way of providing the public with this information is through the watch and warning process. Every year the Cleveland Weather Service Office issues around 200 watches and warnings for all weather in the different seasons. Our most critical warnings are those short term events that directly threaten life and property such as tornados and flash floods.
The short term warning process consists of three main areas:
Preparation
Issuing the warning
Distribution and Coordination of Information
A description of all the watches and warnings issued by the NWSFO in Cleveland can be found here. What to do during a severe weather event can be found in our weather safety guide.
The National Weather Service forecasts take on many forms and are designed for various needs. Forecasts are issued for the public and private sectors. The types of forecasts and service offered by an NWSFO is greatly influenced by the local climatology. For instance, our office does marine forecasting for Lake Erie. The Cleveland NWSFO issues forecasts for three of the five main areas of forecasting including the following:
Public Forecasts
Aviation Forecasts
Marine Forecasts
Hydrologic Forecasts
Fire Weather
The other duties consist of the following:
Maintaining a Skywarn Program
Conduct safety awareness seminars for the public.
Answering questions and requests for data information from the public.
Broadcasting local conditions, forecasts, and warnings on the NOAA Weather Radio