For 13 years, the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) has provided continuing education to a wide spectrum of users in the atmospheric science community. The rapid evolution of delivery technology for distance-learning materials has enabled the COMET Program to continuously develop cutting- edge training in such a way that it not only serves our core sponsors, including NOAA/NWS, NMOC, AFWA, NESDIS, NPOESS, and the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), but also is freely available to the world.

We currently produce distance-learning materials that include Web-based training modules, Webcasts (captured expert audio lectures from our classroom), some teletraining offerings, and courses that employ a “blended” distance-learning approach. Web-based training materials are readily available on numerous topics covering new satellite applications, hydrometeorology, numerical weather prediction, climate, and a whole variety of mesoscale phenomenon including a continually expanding mesoscale meteorology primer. With the recent addition of the MSC as a COMET cooperative program sponsor, we are now able to offer an entire Website focused on training for forecasters operating in the northern latitudes of North America. Other recent projects have included Web-based training on dispersion models and a highly interactive hurricane preparedness module for middle school students. All of these training materials are available via the newly redesigned MetEd Website (http://www.meted.ucar.edu/). It is now easier than ever to find continuing education materials on a whole variety of weather and climate-related topics.

Additionally, the COMET Program offers a variety of courses and workshops in our classroom facility in Boulder. Currently, we deliver courses in mesoscale analysis and prediction, hydrometeorology, basin customization, winter weather, and climate variability. These courses are available to our sponsors and others in the meteorology and forecasting communities on a space available basis and much of the lecture materials are available over the Web. We also maintain an extensive on-line case study archive that is available via the MetEd Website in the Cases section.

Forecasters in our sponsor communities are expected to complete continuing education training to assist them in improving their forecasts as they strive to meet the high expectations held by users of weather information. Many private sector companies including television stations desire staff with current knowledge on a whole spectrum of atmospheric forecast challenges, but often do not have the resources to make commensurate training available. Today operational forecasters enjoy a healthy mix of traditional classroom and state-of-the-art computer-based training as they explore atmospheric-related topics. The COMET Program, through both its residence courses and the ever-expanding suite of materials available 24/7 on the MetEd Website, is working to help meet the needs of weather forecast user communities in the area of meteorology education.