Tell HN: The US NE Weather Service to end technical Area Forecast Discussions
Several Eastern NWS offices, including Boston and New York, are transitioning away from the detailed technical discussions that explain forecaster reasoning. The new “warnings first” format aims to reduce “redundancy” by focusing on hazard information. Does anyone know why this is occurring? The stated reasons do not make sense.
For non-weather people. This means the Area Forecast Discussions which are extremely valuable for understanding why forecasters reached their conclusions will largely duplicate the warnings and zone forecasts already available everywhere else, in a nonsensical format.
The meteorological reasoning that made AFDs useful to enthusiasts and professionals alike is being stripped out. It is hard for me to understand how this is an improvement or anything other than wholesale downgrading of service by some of the US’s most important weather regions.
A summary of the changes is available here: https://partnerservices.nws.noaa.gov/products/cache/350-2025/PNSOKX/554ebc63d53efc7a5c2b325ce4223fbc
Boston has already switched. Here’s what the new format looks like: https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=BOX&issuedby=BOX&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=off I hope this doesn't become a trend across the NWS. In Texas. When major weather events are developing, I regularly check forecast discussions as they are updated. It's far more valuable than looking at the plain Jane forecast with pretty pictures. In the discussions, they'll break down my region from north to south or east to west which is valuable. The west Texas dry line plays a huge roll in our west Texas severe weather and they discuss which area of is more likely to be impacted. It's not just a broad forecast.