The first workshop on severe weather technology for NWS warning decision making

In July 2005, the Meteorological Development Laboratory and the Warning Decision Training Branch started a series of workshops aimed at improving severe weather technology for NWS warning decision making. The structure of the workshop was based off of a series of successful development workshops for the National Severe Storms Laboratory Warning Decision Support Software in the 1990s. The current workshop brought together NWS forecasters, software developers, NWS headquarters requirements groups, and researchers to identify new technologies and ideas to improve NWS operations. A significant part of the workshop focused on 1) establishing the current needs of NWS warning decision making, 2) evaluating the shortcomings of the current process, and 3) brainstorming future improvements. Results of the workshop are useful to illustrate the state of current warning decision making in the NWS and potential directions for future products and services. These workshops can provide a means for strengthening the relationships between research, NWS operations, and public service in association with severe convective weather.