A Comparative Study of the National Water Model Forecast to Observed Streamflow Data project report

As global temperatures increase, the volatility of localized weather patterns increases. Precipitation distribution becomes more severe, leading to storm and flooding events with higher frequency and greater intensity (Armel et al, 2018). In order to adapt to this change, there is a need for the scientific community to advance our methods of predicting events of high precipitation and stream flows. The National Water Model (NWM) seeks to answer this call as a great step forwards in the precision and scope in which extreme weather events in the continental United States can be predicted. This study seeks to evaluate the accuracy of the NWM through comparison to observed stream flow data in a network of stream gages in the city of Austin, TX.