For Precision Forecasting According to the National Climatic Center, over the last 10 years, the United States has been battered by costly hurricanes incurring a price tag of more than $347 billion. Forecasting their strength and arrival along with predicting their path and is critically important information for people to prepare and evacuate, if necessary. Scientists at NCAR are providing invaluable support to NOAA’s Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program (HFIP), to improve the accuracy and reliability of hurricane forecasts; extending lead time for hurricane forecasts with more certainty; and to increase confidence in hurricane forecasts.This accuracy depends on our independent, testing and evaluation of models based on criteria provided by the operations side.