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FY25 WOC Winter Track Is Now Open

Registration for the FY25 version of the course is now open: WOC Winter Registration Form.

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Residence/Virtual Courses
Web-Based Training Release Dates

Warning Decision Training Division

Office of Chief Learning Officer

Warning Operations Course - Winter Track

Weather.gov > Warning Decision Training Division > Courses > Warning Operations Course > Winter Track

 

How to Register?

Registration for the FY25 version of the course is now open: WOC Winter Registration Form.

Course Description

The Warning Operations Course (WOC) Winter Track is a course that consists of training on topics that are relevant to warning decision-making during winter weather events. There are 9 instructional components in the Winter Track, including the orientation, 6 distance learning topics, the WES case, and the Forecast Challenge.

The WOC Winter Track is designed to allow every NWS Meteorologist with winter weather responsibilities to participate with the assistance of an on-site facilitator (SOO or locally appointed training officer). Each instructional component for NWS employees are tracked by the WOC on-site facilitator using the NWS Learning Center.

The WOC Winter Track is designed to improve the performance of NOAA’s NWS offices in issuing watches, warnings, and advisories during winter events.

Course Outline

Click on the panels below to access the content for each topic of the course. For most lessons, there will be two ways to access the training materials:

  • Web Version - Lesson streams from the WDTD web server & doesn't require login; or
  • LMS Version - Links to NWS Learning Center (aka: LMS) so NWS employees can get completion credit, but login is required to access.

The lesson content is the same for each link. NWS employees enrolled in the WOC Winter Track should already have all of the WOC course content provided on their personal transcript. However, you can also use the LMS Version link to access the content and ensure you receive completion credit.

 

Orientation

Brief Description: This presentation provides a brief overview of the Winter WOC

Delivery Methods: Asynchronous instructor-led web modules

Approximate Completion Time: 15 minutes

Content:

Conceptual Models

Brief Description: This section contains lessons on synoptic and mesoscale conceptual models related to winter weather forecasting, including conveyor belts, frontogenesis, and potential vorticity.

Delivery Methods: Asynchronous instructor-led web modules

Approximate Completion Time: 1.75 hours

Content:

Forecasting Hazards

Brief Description: This section contains lessons for forecasting specific hazards, including snowfall, sleet/freezing rain, determining precipitation type, visibility in snow, and severe winter winds.

Delivery Methods: Asynchronous instructor-led web modules

Approximate Completion Time: 5 hours

Content:

Physiogeographic Systems

Brief Description: This section contains lessons on forecasting winter precipitation in regions near physiogeographic features, such as bodies of water and mountains.

Delivery Method: Asynchronous instructor-led web modules

Approximate Completion Time:3 hours

Content:

Remote Sensing of Winter Hazards

Brief Description: This section contains lessons for nowcasting winter weather, including snowfall and precipitation type, and radar-based nowcasting.

Delivery Method: Asynchronous instructor-led web modules

Approximate Completion Time: 1.75 hours

Content:

The Forecast Warning Process

Brief Description: This section contains lessons on topics affecting winter weather warnings, including high-impact winter systems, NBM 4.2, WPC Winter Weather Desk operations, mesoanalysis, and snow squall warnings.

Delivery Method: Asynchronous instructor-led web modules

Approximate Completion Time: TBD

Content:

  • Utilizing Anomalies to Anticipate High-Impact Winter Storms: Web Version | LMS Version
  • 2024-2025 WPC Winter Weather Desk Operations: Web Version | LMS Version
  • NBM v4.2 Winter Elements: Web Version | LMS Version
  • Convection Allowing Models (CAMs) for Winter Weather: Fundamentals: Web Version | LMS Version
  • Convection Allowing Models (CAMs) for Winter Weather: Applications: Web Version | LMS Version
  • Building an Effective Winter Weather Forecast Process: Web Version | LMS Version
  • Mesoscale Analysis and Short Term Forecasting: Web Version | LMS Version
  • Snow Squall Warnings and Associated Operational Actions: Web Version | LMS Version
Winter Weather Impacts

Brief Description: This section contains lessons about the probabalistic winter precipitation forecast (PWPF) and messaging, WSSI and WSSI-P, communicating winter weather impacts, and the NOHRSC analysis.

Delivery Method: Asynchronous instructor-led web modules

Approximate Completion Time: TBD

Content:

The Winter Snowfall Forecast Challenge

Brief Description: This section contains the links to the forecast challenge website. Note: Only people with an NOAA-affiliated email can participate or access the site.

Approximate Completion Time: Challenge activities- 2 hours, Challenge webinar - 1 hours (3 hours total)

WES Simulation Exercise

Brief Description: Students will apply WOC Winter learning objectives in a warning decision making simulation that focuses on mesoscale and storm-scale environmental assessment, data analysis, and warning creation.

Delivery Method: Weather Event Simulator (WES) in the Cloud, with embedded modules, and a CLC quiz.

Approximate Completion Time: 90 minutes

WES Simulation: A Hazard Services-based winter and extreme temperature simulation is under development and will be ready at the end of October.

  • Simulation Launch Instructions: WOC Winter Simulation Launch Instructions
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