The service goals for Quantitative Precipitation Information (QPI) in the modernized National Weather Service (NWS) through the year 2003 (Graziano, 1998) include:
(1) the preparation, issuance and verification of probabilistic quantitative precipitation forecasts (PQPFs) and hydrologic forecasts and warning products at Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and River Forecast Centers (RFCs) nationwide and at the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC) of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP); (2) extension of the range of forecaster prepared value-added QPFs and PQPFs produced by the HPC and the WFOs and assimilated by the River Forecast Centers (RFCs) through day 3; (3) the provision of improved and expanded centrally-produced statistical QPF and PQPF guidance products based on operational NCEP models, and the implementation of statistically-based models on AWIPS to provide high resolution, short-range, statistical QPF/PQPF guidance products; (4) implementation of improved data assimilation techniques, improved and higher resolution regional mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, regional and storm scale NWP models, and a regional ensemble prediction system at the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) of NCEP; (5) expansion of the use of and integration of quantitative precipitation estimates (QPEs), based on various sources of in situ and remotely sensed data, utilizing continuing advances on optimally merging and quality controlling gage, radar, and satellite estimates; and (6) implementation of a national verification program to quantify, and improve through timely feedback, the performance of QPF/PQPF products, and to assess the value-added at each step of the NWS End-to-End Forecast Process.
As a first step toward achieving these ambitious goals, the NWS will implement a comprehensive education program for forecasters and Science and Operations Officers (SOOs) on QPE and QPF in the modernized NWS. This paper will describe the education plan that will include the development of a Professional Development Series (PDS) for QPI at the Cooperative Program for Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET®). A PDS is a set of integrated instructional material and presentations which taken together define the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary for an operational forecaster to fulfill a major job responsibility (Lamos, 1997)