US NWS Warning Decision Training Division

The NWS-wide Severe Weather Forecast Challenge is returning! WDTD has been facilitating Warning Forecast Challenges since 2010, and forecaster feedback indicates this opportunity is one of the most effective techniques to improve severe weather warning performance. All NWS staff are eligible to participate in the challenge! Both individual forecasters and WFO group scores are tallied. Forecasters can participate as often or as little as they would like. Each forecaster’s 2... highest scores per week will be counted for their weekly score, with a maximum of 6 out of the 8 weeks (12 scores total) counting for their final overall score. An office with 3 or more forecasters participating will be able to compete as an office and receive an office score (see official rules for more information). The 2020 Severe Weather Forecast Challenge will run from Sunday, April 11, through Saturday, June 5. Registration is now open and will remain open through Wednesday, April 7. For NWS folks interested in enrolling in the 2021 Challenge, please go to the Username Selection Form (https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLScjZcYXt-6FJ2jPkO/viewform) and enter the following information: -- Forecaster name -- 3-letter office ID -- Your unique username

The Warning Operations Course: Severe Weather track (a.k.a. WOC Severe) is released and is virtually all new for 2021! That includes 33 new modules (as well as 6 refreshed ones), a new WES simulation, and the ever-popular Severe Weather Forecast Challenge! The distance learning modules are available on our website (https://training.weather.gov/wdtd/courses/woc/severe.php) for anyone to take! The rest of the material is available to NWS employees only. Any NWS participant can... take the modules in the CLC for credit, enroll in the Severe Weather Forecast Challenge, and/or take the new WES simulation once it reaches your office. WOC Severe enrollees only may enroll in the live interactive webinar that is included as a course component. New topics covered in this year's WOC Severe rollout include mesoanalysis, advanced warning methodology, combined tornado-flash flood hazards, and data fusion (that is, combining radar, satellite, and other observational data).

In partnership with the NWS Leadership Academy, we have added a lesson on Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) to our Warning Operations Course: Human Factors Track. Inside are methods for identifying and dealing with the secondary trauma/stress NWS team members can experience while working high-impact events. It's available on the WDTD website for anyone to explore - and NWS forecasters can take the lesson via the CLC, both by itself or as part of the broader Warning Ops Course/Track.

Attention NWS employees! It's time to sign up for the Winter Weather Forecast Challenge! This challenge presents an opportunity to try your probabilistic snowfall forecasting skills in real time and, through the process, expand your knowledge of forecasting in different winter environments. The challenge will run from Sunday, January 3 to Saturday, February 27, 2021. The rules are a little different this year, so even if you're a past participant, be sure to read the rules fo...r this year! All of those rules, including the sign-up form, are posted here: https://secure.training.weather.gov//w/forecast-challenge/ Round up some colleagues and join us for a little friendly competition with the side benefit of some learning!

Wonder what it is like to issue your own storm warning? We have a live event to demo warnings being issued, coming up October 30th during #NWF20 with the US NWS Warning Decision Training Division! Link to register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/regist/9062956998722606859