SY045-02
Virtual Internal Engagement and Training to Advance Service Innovation: 2020 National Water Model Weather Forecast Office Impact-Based Decision Support Services Workshops

Monday, 14 December 2020: 05:45
Virtual
Kate E Abshire1, Darone Jones2, Mark Glaudemans3, Mary G Mullusky1, Aaron Benjamin Jacobs4, Alex Lamers5, Barrett Smith6, J. Brent Bower7, Corey Krewson8, Jessica Brooks9, Maren Stoflet10, Matt Kelsch11, Monica Stone2, Tony Mancus11 and Whitney Flynn2, (1)NOAA, NWS Analysis and Forecast Support Office/Water Resources Services Branch, Silver Spring, MD, United States, (2)NOAA, NWS Office of Water Prediction, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States, (3)NOAA, NWS Office of Water Prediction, Silver Spring, MD, United States, (4)NOAA, NWS Juneau Forecast Office, Juneau, AK, United States, (5)NOAA, Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD, United States, (6)NOAA, NWS Raleigh Forecast Office, Raleigh, NC, United States, (7)NOAA, NWS Seattle Forecast Office, Seattle, WA, United States, (8)Aquaveo, Provo, United States, (9)NOAA, NWS Quad Cities Forecast Office, Davenport, IA, United States, (10)NOAA, NWS Fort Worth/Dallas Forecast Office, Fort Worth, TX, United States, (11)UCAR-COMET, Boulder, CO, United States
Recorded Presentation
Abstract:
The Office of Water Prediction (OWP) has been engaging National Weather Service (NWS) subject matter experts to inform and prioritize new water prediction map services, including prototype visualization services from the National Water Model. While this had been planned to take the form of two in-person workshops collaboratively developed and delivered with UCAR's COMET Program, disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic meant these were delivered as virtual workshops.

The three-and-a-half day workshops provided a mix of interactive training, expert presentations, participant-driven case studies, and open discussion and feedback sessions. Several platforms were utilized to share reference documents, enable hands-on exploration of geospatial data services, and facilitate group discussions. Discussions during the workshop were robust, and participants offered numerous suggestions for improvements to enhance the visualization services for operational use by NWS Weather Forecast Offices.

Participants indicated that, although they had little prior experience with the visualization services, they were eager to continue providing feedback in the future as they explore prototype analysis and forecast visualizations for their own areas of forecast responsibility to better understand how they relate to local impacts. While a post-workshop survey indicated that participants missed the chance to connect in-person with presenters and other participants, the virtual format was considered successful and was a valuable opportunity to learn about and contribute to ongoing innovation.

The virtual format of the most recent workshops offered a unique opportunity for NWS forecasters and hydrologists to explore prototype services through interactive scenarios and augmented training and feedback. The successful elements demonstrated here can be leveraged by NWS National Centers or National Headquarters for future training and engagement opportunities with geographically distributed field offices.

<< Previous Abstract | Next Abstract >>