Improved extended weather forecasts: how one gas utility benefited

Better weather forecasting helped Washington Gas Light Co. save several million dollars during the 1980-81 heating season. The National Weather Service bases its extended forecasts primarily on guidance from the National Meterological Center's global spectral computer model. Current operational daily forecasts of surface temperature can be accurately projected up to 7 days, those of wind speeds up to 4 or 5 days. This information is useful to gas utilities for better management of gas supply and storage capacity - and thus monetary savings to the ratepayer. Because of these forecasts, WGL was able to (1) avoid purchasing extra gas supplies during a mild period and (2) make 300 trillion Btu of gas available to its interruptible customers.