In support of the Climate Assessment Project for the Southwest, a review was conducted of the current state of weather, climate, and hydrologic forecasting for the Southwest. A key element of the review was a workshop that examined the availability, use, accuracy, and value of forecasts, with participants consisting primarily of agency personnel involved in operational forecasting via directly issuing forecasts, providing key data for making forecasts, or serving as a key link for communicating forecasts. The broad range of forecast products encompasses myriad variables, time-scales from minutes to seasons, and lead-times from minutes to over a year. Current forecast products and techniques are reviewed, and implications for use in decision making are discussed. The forecast review identified needs for additional research to be addressed by the CLIMAS Project, including local evaluation of monthly and seasonal climate outlooks, retrospective evaluation of operational water supply outlooks, hindcast reanalysis of probabilistic water supply outlook techniques, and incorporation of climate outlooks into statistical water supply outlook techniques.

This ōban triptych depicts Minamoto Yoshitsune 源 義經 (center left) and his retainers after their victory over the troops of Minamoto no Yoshinaka at the battle of Hōjūjidono in 1184. The warrior monk Musashibō Benkei 武藏坊 辨慶 sits to the right of Yoshitsune. In the lower-right corner lie the decapitated heads of Nenoi Ōyata 根井 大弥太 and Gonrokurō 権六郎.