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Climate Services Professional Development Series

Operational Climate Services Residence Training Next Offering: To Be Determined
Location: NWS Training Center

Introduction Agenda Logistics Prerequisites Contact Information
Introduction

The three-day Operational Climate Services course is oriented toward NWS Climate Services Leads with the objective to develop operational skills in three main areas:
  1. Climate customer services: delivery of national and local climate products, services, and information;
  2. Climate observing system stewardship;
  3. NWS office staff education on local climate variability, products and services.

This residence training is expected to equip NWS Climate Services Leads with the necessary information, resources, and tools to perform climate services duties. Prior to attending the residence portion of the operational training, attendees are expected to complete important prerequisites via online exercises and teletraining. The residence course topics will include:
  1. NOAA and NOAA partners' climate services with an emphasis on application of major climate variability processes (ENSO, MJO, drought, etc.) and how to access national climate products and forecasts;
  2. Assessment of the local impacts of these current climate variability states;
  3. Strategies to assess local climatology;
  4. Development and delivery of local climate products based on downscaling and compositing analysis, including verification techniques;
  5. Best Practices for climate observing system stewardship; and
  6. Training tools for the Climate Services Lead to educate the local office staff.

Expected specific outcomes

Each trainee, upon completion of the residence training, should be able to:
  • Clearly understand their role as NWS local office Climate Services Lead
  • Use recommended tools for:
    • providing efficient climate services (Data Referral Tool, NOW Data/xmACIS),
    • reporting climate observation problems (Datzilla)
    • conducting local climate studies (LCAT, ESRL Online tools)
    • applying and communicating climate information
  • Explain selected climate variability phenomena to local office staff and customers
  • Interpret NWS climate products, both national and local, and describe their potential uses
  • Participate in the NOAA process of timely and accurate climate data records
  • Communicate information on climate variability and change using NOAA products to local users
  • Provide climate-informed decision support services
Course Organizing Team:

NOAA team:
Marina Timofeyeva, NWS Climate Services Branch
Stephen Baxter, NWS Climate Services Branch
Andrea Bair, NWS Western Region Climate Services Program Manager
Barb Mayes-Boustead, NWS Warning Decision Training Division