Evaluating Forecast Reference EvapotranspirationFor Florida

摘要

The National Weather Service has released a product that estimates forecast reference evapotranspiration (FRET) at a 2.5 km resolution. The objective of this study was to compare FRET data to calculated Florida reference evapotranspiration (ETo) dataand evaluate their differences. Daily ETo values were calculated with data from 42 UF/IFAS Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) locations using two methods, FA056 and ASCE-EWRI. These values were then compared to FRET data for one week during September 2017. Results from this limited data analysis showed FRET data were similar to measured data, with differences between values decreasing as the number of days between forecasted and calculated values decreased. In addition, FRET data were similar to both calculated data sets with ASCE-EWRI values being more similar than FA056 values. Similarity between FRET predictions and calculated data suggests that FRET data could be used to help water managers anticipate future water demand and improve irrigation management. Additional work is needed with a larger data set to confirm these results over time and space in Florida.