The forecast preparation method used by AFPS centers on a database containing gridded forecast data for the local forecast area. The parameters contained within the database are those required to generate the various end-user products that the NWS disseminates to the public, marine, fire weather, agriculture, and aviation communities. AFPS provides tools to allow the forecaster to view and edit these grids intuitively. All of the displays and tools are highly interactive thus allowing the user to quickly draw the forecast. Product generators access the forecast grids from the database and produce a variety of output products.
Software interfaces allow individual sites to integrate the output of local models into the system.
Any model that is grid-based can be integrated into AFPS by the WFO staff. The local staff may also write custom product generators to format site-specific products. There are many benefits to the IFP method. Since all products are derived from one database, all products will be consistent with each other. Forecast monitoring and verification are easier when forecasts and observations are represented by gridded fields instead of free-form text.