Effective use of NWP in the forecast process: A new COMET distance learning course

In keeping with the theme of the 2011 Annual Meeting and the 4th special topic in the WAF/NWP conference Call for Papers, “Improving communications between the research and operational communities”, we will present the recently introduced new COMET NWP distance learning course, Effective Use of NWP in the Forecast Process, designed for operational forecasters. At the 2009 WAF/NWP Conference, we sketched out the new course as then envisioned. Now, we show a sampling from the large body of completed, already available training as well as an updated look at the parts to be developed.

COMET has updated six modules in the original NWP distance learning course in the past year and added new modules on the North American Ensemble Forecast System, high-resolution models, bias correction, and downscaling.

A new 7-module unit focused on NWP within the human forecast process should be available prior to the conference. This new unit presents the forecast process in four steps and uses cases and examples to show how NWP products can be utilized in each step as well as how probabilistic and uncertainty information can be utilized. Identifying opportunities for the human to add value to the NWP guidance is a subtext throughout and is also the topic of one of the modules. Accompanying these modules are Weather Event Simulator cases developed at the NWS Warning Decision Training Branch. COMET thanks the NWS Science and Operations Officers and forecasters who provided the information content and accompanying WES cases. The partnership between people in the field offices and COMET training developers is vital to producing useful training for the operational forecast environment.

Additionally, the course is being expanded to cover the use of NWP products in the preparation of forecast grids in NWS forecast offices and the use of NWP products for specific types of forecast problems. These units will be developed during 2011 and beyond. These plans, and plans peering further into the future, will also be presented and we will be looking for interested contributors to collaborate with for these sections.