The Weather Information Management System (WIMS) is a comprehensive system that helps you manage weather information. WIMS serves as the host for the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS), incorporating both the 1978 and 1988 fuel models.
WIMS, a web-based application, resides on a suite of servers known as FAMWEB. FAMWEB hosts all of the National Fire Applications at the USDA National Information Technology Center (NITC) in Kansas City. WIMS is available on a twenty-four hour basis.
WIMS allows you to retrieve weather information by providing:
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Timely access to many weather information sources
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Efficient tools for managing data
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Data manipulation and display functions
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Interactive communications environment
For more complete information about NFDRS, see Chapter 9, Working with NFDRS and Appendix E, NFDRS technical reference.
WIMS receives weather data from three basic sources:
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National Weather Service Telecommunications Gateway (NWSTG)
- Satellite -RAWS Gateway
- Directly from manual observations at field locations.