You can request spot forecasts via our spot forecast page located at:

http://spot.nws.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/spot/spotmon?site=lub

The main spot forecast page updates every minute and shows you the location and status of any spot forecasts that have already been requested for today. You can view these other forecasts, as well as request a new spot forecast of your own.

Each request has its own webpage where all the information about that request is displayed including maps, information about the request and eventually, the forecast. Sensitive information about the request (such as phone numbers, names of contact persons, and the exact location of the burn) are NOT visible by everyone. They are visible only on the computer that made the original request and NWS computers.

When you request a new spot forecast, you provide information in a web-based form that is similar to the D-1 form that you are probably used to using. The information you provide on the  form is checked for consistency, and after you complete the form, the NWS is notified of a new request and a new webpage is created for this burn.

Once you have submitted a request, you will probably want to view the webpage for your burn or check back frequently to view it’s status. To view the webpage for any burn or wildfire, go to the main spot forecast webpage, click either on the name of the burn in the listing, or on the dot on the mat for the burn. This page will also automatically update every minute so that when new information becomes available, you will see it right away. If we find any errors in your request, we might even send you a question that will show up on this page. You can answer the question, or make other changes to your request from this webpage, but ONLY from the computer that made the original request. Since the forecast screen is automatically updated every minute, you will see the forecast within a minute of it being issued.

When the forecast is complete, you can print the webpage, or do whatever you want with the information. From the main spot forecast page, you have the ability to switch to a similar screen for days other than today. You can use this to send us feedback on earlier forecasts, or to copy the information from one request to a new request for today.

The main spot forecast monitoring page shows you all of today’s spot forecasts on the map and also in the list at the bottom of the page.

This page auto-updates every minute, so as new spot forecasts are requested or their status changes, you immediately see the changes on the page.

The dots on the map show the locations of the burns, and the status of the spot forecast requests. Green squares indicate requests that are still pending. Purple squares indicate burns where question have been asked. Red squares indicate burns where the forecast has been completed. You can either click on the dots on the map, or the list of spot names at the bottom of the page to view the individual webpage for each request.

You can use the arrow buttons next to the date to view spot requests from other days, or you can use the  "CALANDER" link to move to other days more quickly.

To request a spot forecast, click on the button labeled "Submit a new Spot Request", and you will be taken to the Spot Request Form.

Spot Request Form

You fill in this form with the information needed to request a spot forecast.

The first time you fill out a spot request, almost all the boxes will be empty. After that many of the boxes will be filled in with information that shouldn’t change very much from one request to another (such as your name and phone number).

The elements highlighted in red are required for us to complete your spot forecast. While the other items may not be necessary, they are very important to make an accurate and useful forecast.

The form is broken down into seven sections. Lets look at each section individually, and the parameters you will need to fill in:

You need to provide a name for your project. The name cannot be the same as any other project for the same day – and you will be alerted if you pick a name the same as an existing burn.

You should use the buttons to indicate whether the fire is a Wildfire, WFU or Prescribed Fire (Prescribed fire is chosen by default when you enter the form). For prescribed fires, you should indicate the ignition time and date using a 24 hour clock (and time zone if necessary). The form defaults to an ignition time about ½ hour in the future.

You need to tell us who you are! Here you provide your agency name, your phone number for both voice and fax (please include the area code) and your name. All information will be helpful to us if there are problems or questions and we need to contact you. You will only need to enter this information the first time you request a spot forecast. After that, it will be filled in with the same information as your last request.

3. Location Section

In this section you tell us the precise location of the burn. You can either specify the legal location or the latitude/longitude. If you use the legal method, you should provide something like: T5N R12E Sec24. If you use the latitude/longitude method, you can either specify degrees like: 45.1486 or degrees/minutes/seconds like: 45 13 34.

If you can, please specify the name of the 7 ½  minute USGS quadmap where the burn is located. We will check that against the legal or lat/lon location that you give. The elevation (in feet) at the top and bottom of the burn should be entered in the "Elevation" boxes. If the burn is on flat ground, you can enter a value in only one of the boxes. Enter the name of the nearest drainage in the "Drainage" box. This helps us to further locate the burn when the legal or lat/lon location leaves some ambiguity. Enter the slope aspect, such as NE or S (or possibly FLAT) in the "Aspect" box. This helps us further locate the burn. Also, please enter the size of the burn (in acres) in the "Size" box.

Please indicate the type of fuel, either using fuel model numbers, or a description of the fuel such as "grass", "Ponderosa pine", etc. Also, if you can indicate the amount of fuel sheltering, it helps us tremendously in providing accurate wind forecasts.

5. Observations Section

In this section you provide us with local observation near the burn. For each observation we neee where it is in relation to the burn (for example "base camp", "1 mile NW" or something like that), the elevation (in feet) and the time (preferably using a 24 hour clock). The wind (in miles per hour) can be specified as "N12 Gust 25" or something like that. The temperature and wet-bulb values (in degrees F) should be entered and the RH (in percent) and the dewpoint (in degrees F) can also be entered if known (they will be calculated from the Temperature/Wet-bulb/Elevation if you do not provide them). Finally, any remarks about clouds, weather or other important information should be entered in the final box. If you have more than 4 observations (and we like that!) please put them in the comments section below (or fax them to us!).

6. Forecast Elements Section

Not all spot requests are created equal! In this section we are asking you to tell us what are the forecast elements you need, or are particularly important. If you have a grass that will be out by later today, we don’t want to waste time worrying about the temperature for tomorrow, unless you really need it. Likewise, if the wind direction is particularly important for you, we want to know about it. Pick the parameters that you need for today, tonight and tomorrow. If we think something is particularly noteworthy, we will let you know - even if you didn’t request it. If you are submitting a request in the evening for the next day - keep in mind that you are requesting parameters for the day of the burn. For wildfires, we will provide all parameters (except smoke dispersion), so you do not need to waste time filling this in, unless you have a parameter that is particularly critical for you (in which case, this is a good place to indicate that).

7. Comments Section

If there is something else that you think we need to know, or something you couldn’t fit elsewhere on the form, please enter it here. There is virtually no limit to what you can put here.

Submit the form

When you are ready to submit the form, just click on the "Submit Request" button at the bottom of the page. If you want to cancel the request you can click on the "Cancel Request" button, and if you want to clear the form and start over again you can click on the "Clear Form" button.

When you submit the form, various checks are performed on the data you have entered. Some problems make it impossible for your request to be accepted (for example, if you forget to enter a name for the burn). Others will produce warnings and messages for your information. If an error is found, you will be given the opportunity to go back and fix the form, or cancel the request. Once you are confident there are no more errors in your request, it will be submitted and we will be automatically notified through our computer systems. If you have the time, we appreciate it if you could still call us, just in case something goes wrong on the web and we don’t get notified of your request.