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River Forecast Centers Banner

River Forecast Centers (RFC) monitor the Nation's river systems and provide real-time hydrologic forecasts and guidance for delivery to water resources cooperators and Weather Forecast Offices.

Each River Forecast Center (RFC) area of responsibility includes one or more major river systems. RFCs prepare timely river and flood forecasts for approximately 4,000 river locations. The operation of each RFC is distinctive because of the variation of climate, flood frequency, river basin size and characteristics, population, program requirements, and cooperator activities. The role of the RFC staff is to prepare stage, flow, volume, or ice melt forecasts for more than 1 week into the future; flashflood guidance; and related types of products. The basic data needed for such forecasts includes rainfall, water content of snow, current river conditions, temperature, wind, and evaporation. Forecasts of seasonal snowmelt or water-year runoff are prepared monthly in areas where snow is the principal source of streamflow.

Additionally, RFC activities include calibrating hydrologic models, maintaining real-time hydrometeorological databases, and being involved in interagency planning activities, forecast coordination, and data exchange.

Missouri Basin River Forecast Center
Pleasant Hill, Missouri

North Central River Forecast Center
Chanhassen, Minnesota

Northeast River Forecast Center
Taunton, Massachusetts
Northwest River Forecast Center
Portland, Oregon
Ohio Basin River Forecast Center
Wilmington, Ohio
Southeast River Forecast Center
Peachtree, Georgia
West Gulf River Forecast Center
Fort Worth, Texas
Arkansas-Red Basin River Forecast Center
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Alaska River Forecast Center
Anchorage, Alaska
Colorado Basin River Forecast Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
California-Nevado River Forecast Center
Sacramento, California
Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center
Slidell, Louisiana
Mid-Atlantic River Forecast Center
State College, Pennsylvania
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