NWS Discussion Time Question

[Greg]

When I read 0z on a NWS forecast discussion, for example, exactly what time is that? Midnight GMT?

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

5 hours ahead of eastern time so 0z is 7PM

 

[billski]

5 hours ahead of eastern time so 0z is 7PM

Since the collection and exchange of weather information are of international concern, use of a single, systematic time keeping scheme is a necessity. By international agreement, the reported times for essentially all meteorological reports are given according to Universal Coordinated Time (UTC), which has replaced the previously used Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). GMT time is also referred to as "Z" or, phonetically, "Zulu" time, for the letter identifying that time zone centered on the Greenwich Prime Meridian (See the time zone labels along the top of the accompanying World Map of Time Zones). Essentially all the maps that you will encounter in this course will be identified in Z time.

http://www.aos.wisc.edu/~hopkins/aos100/z-time.htm

 

[o3jeff]

Same as in Kansas.

 

[bvibert]

When I read 0z on a NWS forecast discussion, for example, exactly what time is that? Midnight GMT?

In short, yes.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/doppler/radarfaq.htm#utc