COMET MetEd Resources Supporting Weather and Decision Support Applications through the NOAA Satellite Proving Ground Training Initiative

Abstract:

Through the MetEd website (meted.ucar.edu), the COMET Program provides over 500 online self-paced training materials (including over 100 satellite-focused lessons) to help forecasters and users of weather information worldwide utilize the latest advancements and science in observing and prediction systems for decision support services. These resources have been developed with funding primarily from NOAA GOES-R and JPSS and involve collaborations with the National Weather Service and multiple cooperative institute partners through the NOAA Satellite Proving Ground Training Initiative. New training releases include several interactive lessons that provide engaging demonstrations of combined geostationary (GEO) and low Earth orbiting (LEO) observing system strengths and capabilities. Several recently published lessons use a scenario-based approach to allow the learner to interact with and analyze the imagery, make decisions, and answer questions as they proceed through the timeline of an event. Through this training, forecasters and stakeholders are able to practice evaluating current satellite capabilities and products for tasks related to various types of hazards. These include determining floodwater extent, detecting and monitoring wildfires, diagnosing heavy rainfall events, and evaluating conditions for convective initiation and maintenance. COMET recently released new lessons for analyzing precipitation information and has also produced multiple lessons as part of the National Weather Service’s Satellite Foundational Courses for GOES-R (SatFC-G) and JPSS (SatFC-J). Spanish translations of several of these lessons, with some lessons also available in Portuguese, help extend the reach of this training internationally.