Forecast Entry Demonstration

Below is information on how to enter a forecast for the WxChallenge contest. If you have any problems entering a forecast, please contact the WxChallenge Manager using the Contact page. You may click on the screen shot images to enlarge them for easy viewing.

Step 1
Enter your forecaster 6-character ID and your 9-digit password, and select your school from the pull down list of schools. Remember, your 9-digit password is case sensative. You can find your class ID on the Sign Up page. If you have forgotten your password, you may retrieve it using the Lost Password Retriever.



Important Note: Do NOT save passwords on public machines. Many web browsers will ask if you wish to have this password saved for future reference. If you are using a public machine, DO NOT save the password.

Step 2
Enter the forecast for the stated city and day. You may enter up to three days worth of forecasts. Please remember that you may change your forecast as many times as you would like before the 00 UTC deadline. You may choose between Numerical, Persistence, and Guidance forecasts. For more information on these types of forecasts, please see the Rules page. For Days 2 and 3 forecasts, you have the option to "Not Change" those forecasts. This option is useful when you have already entered a forecast for those days, but you wanted to just quickly make a small change to your Day 1 forecast without modifying the other forecasts.



Important Note: The designation of Day 1, 2, and 3 for each of the three days are not the same nomenclature as Day 1, 2, and 3 for other forecast information (e.g. Forecast Results). A Day 1 forecast will be valid for the very next forecast that is due (even if it is after a weekend or carries to the next city), Day 2 forecasts are valid for the 2nd next forecast, Day 3 forecasts are valid for the 3rd next forecast. If you have any questions about when a forecast is valid, please note the city and date next to the Day number.

Step 3
After entering your forecasts numbers and selections, click the "Submit Forecast for Verification" button at the bottom of the page. Your forecast will be checked for any errors (e.g. incorrect password, a low temperature that is higher than your high temperature, etc.). A window will pop up onto your screen to indicate the results of the forecast verification. If your forecast is invalid, you will be given error messages describing the parts of your forecast that are invalid. If your forecast is valid, you will see the summary of your forecast and it will be saved internally. If you do not see this message, do not assume your forecast has been saved. Please try and enter your forecast again. If you have any problems entering your forecast, please contact the WxChallenge Manager using the Contact page.

If you have a pop-up blocker, you will need to allow the WxChallenge site to process pop-ups. There are no advertisements, Spyware, or questionable content used by the WxChallenge site.

There are numbers after non-Numerical forecasts that may look alarming. These are internal codes to the contest and do not represent the actual numerical forecast that will be given to you for that given day. If you wish to make changes to your forecast, you may click the "Change Forecast" button. Otherwise, click the "Save Forecast" button to begin the saving process of your forecast.



Important Note: Your forecast is not saved until you see the final Thank You message.

Step 4
Once your forecast has been saved, you may close the Thank You message window to take you back to the Forecast Entry Form. By using the pop-up windows to verify and save your forecasts, your forecast numbers will remain on screen. This will allow you to quickly change your numbers at the last minute without having to re-type all of the forecast back into the website.

Even after seeing the Thank You message indicating a saved forecast, it is always a good idea to verify yourself that your forecast has been saved. Click the "Show Current Forecast" button just below your user information to see your current forecast. This will be easy to do since all of your information has remained in the form.



Step 5
By clicking the "Show Current Forecast" button, you will be shown via a pop-up window your current forecasts that are saved within your forecast file. This information will look similar to the forecast verification summary information in Step 3. If your forecast numbers are not correct, then please re-enter your forecast. If you have any problems entering your forecast, please contact the WxChallenge Manager using the Contact page.



This completes the demonstration on how to successfully enter a forecast for the WxChallenge contest. If you have any problems entering your forecast or have any further questions, please visit the FAQ page or contact the WxChallenge Manager using the Contact page.