First Period Maximum Temperature Forecast Aids Derived for the Late Morning "Wilmington, N.C. and Vicinity Forecast"

Local forecast aids for use in preparing forecasts of maximum and min imum temperatures are routinely prepared by the National Meteorological Center (NMC) for more than. 125 locations in the contiguous United States (1). These maximum/minimum forecasts based on Model Output Statistics (MOS) are available from the Kansas City Switch at approximately 0700 GMT and 1910 GMT (2). While the MOS temperature forecasts serve as excellent local aids for preparing first period temperature forecasts at 5 A.M. and 5 P.M., the authors felt additional aids were needed to improve the 11 A.M. forecast of this afternoon's maximum temperature as given in the Wilmington, N.C. and Vicinity forecasts.