Contact Information
Address:
5241 Northeast 122nd Ave
Portland, OR 97230-1089
United StatesPhone:
503-326-7401
Northwest River Forecast Center (RFC)
The Northwest River Forecast Center is one of 13 National Weather Service hydrologic centers in the United States. This office specializes in flood and water resource forecasting, river modeling, and hydrologic system development. It works with water management agencies to provide the best possible operations of the Columbia reservoir systems. The center is very active in recreational and navigational hydrological forecasting.
The area of responsibility encompasses over 285,786 square miles and includes parts of 7 states and parts of western Canada. It is the second most hydrologic active River Forecast Center in the United States.
The Northwest River Forecast Center uses the National Weather Service Community Hydrologic Prediction System (CHPS) to simulate soil, snow, and stream channel and reservoir conditions. Daily forecasts are made using observations of temperature and precipitation. Forecast of meteorological parameters are included in the river forecast model.