It’s like a forecast, but for now.

In other words, it is a status report.

http://app2.nea.gov.sg/3hnowcast.aspx
NEA 3 Hour Nowcast

http://www.ohionowcast.info/index.asp
A daily nowcast of recreational water conditions

FiveThirtyEight.blogs.nytimes.com also offers a Presidential now-cast (note the hyphen) in addition to its November 6 forecast.

I have not seen the term before but I can find instances of the verb in documents dating back to 2008, so it’s not brand spanking new.

EDIT: I was being a bit simplistic in saying it is a status report: it is an estimate of the current status based on data acquired previously.

I was being a bit simplistic in saying it is a status report: it is an estimate of the current status based on data acquired previously.

I don’t think you were: isn’t that what a status report is?

Can’t say I think much of “Nowcast”. Sounds like a “cute” word, which adds nothing to the language that I can see.  Some clown wants to get into the OED with a new word? I hope he/she can do better than that.

The OED has nowcast dating back to 1971. It’s not new at all.

I think its a rather useful word, at least in contexts like weather that use the word forecast. It’s not only punchier than status report, which is dull and vague, but it clearly contrasts with the forecast.

The OED has nowcast dating back to 1971. It’s not new at all.

Well there you go. Thanks.

I also think that it is useful and does have a slight difference in meaning from status report.

Wunderground, perhaps one of the predominant weather sites, uses “current conditions”.

But then, you probably already knew that.