An Efficient Way of Creating National Weather Service Training Using ArcGIS Story Maps

The development of training materials within the National Weather Service (NWS) requires navigating the balance between operational forecasters, who lack time and expertise to create training materials, and satellite trainers who lack complete fluency in the workflow of a forecast office. To counter these challenges, the authors developed an ArcGIS Online StoryMap for use as a training guide during volcanic ash events. The catalyst for this endeavor was the eruption of Shiveluch (Russia) in April 2023. Imagery used (especially related to Volcanic Ash Advisories and SIGMETs) at the Anchorage Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) for the event was supplied to satellite trainers who incorporated the imagery and other satellite data into the StoryMap. The goal of the training is to help explain how satellite imagery and other data can be used to delineate Volcanic Ash Advisories at the beginning of an event, and how to adjust the size of the Advisory as time proceeds. This training is an efficient method for using the strengths of different participants to create a useful and experiential training document. The interactive nature of the StoryMap format allows users to apply the training knowledge immediately to create Volcanic Ash Advisory polygons in a timely manner.