SOO Wish List

The following are training packages SOOs have requested. If you have packages that fill these requests, go to either the Training Packages or Training Articles Catalogue, and complete the online form to submit the information. Send your own requests for training materials to Robert Rozumalski.

Adaptable New Forecaster Training: An up-to-date outline of new forecaster training that can be adapted to local offices. Could have links to such things as TPB, NWSTC, OSF, COMET, NCEP, SPC, NSSL, Operations Manuals, and Regional ROMLs.

Analyzing Radar Data for Severe Potential: Techniques for determining potential for wind, hail, tornadoes on AWIPS, using 4 panels. Some examples: Storm, tilt, Elevated core, VIL Density.

Dynamics and Thermodynamics of Tropical Waves: Refresher training on tropical waves moving across the northern Caribbean Sea.

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Training: Such as: identifying tornadoes in rainbands; satellite signatures associated with varying stages of tropical growth; effects of currents and sea temperatures; damage expectations based on speed/angle of entry onto land/width of tropical system; precipitation maximum and minimums associated with time of day; structure of tropical system,. etc. [Bernard Meisner suggests looking at a Web page he created and recently updated and another one Mark DeMaria developed for the NHC in 1997.] [Jack Settelmaier says his office uses the Air Weather Service's AWRTR-95/001 training guide and supplements the material by creating graphs of local office data as it relates to the text.]

Aviation: Particularly on forecasting ceilings, visibility, precipitation type, and wind. [See Training Packages Catalogue entries for the Topic of Aviation, especially Aviation Wind Shear and Low Level Wind Shear]. Training also wanted on such things as these questions:

1. Given clear skies, but anticipating radiation fog, how do I decide when it will form and how dense it will become? [See the COMET Radiation Fog Module]
2. Given clear skies, how can I forecast the development of stratus (not the advection of stratus), either during the night or just after sunrise.
3. How can I detect low clouds or fog with the GOES satellite when there is cirrus over the area? [Patrick Dills replies "The 1st GOES and 1st POES modules address how the fog/stratus is generated and the ability to monitor fog/stratus at night. While the viewing of fog and stratus is effectively blocked by "thick" cirrus, some detection is possible under "thin" cirrus conditions. The irregularities commonly present in a thin cirrus overcast allow for intermittent viewing of water clouds (fog/stratus) below. The "FOG-IR/Reflectivity" product in AWIPS (nighttime 3.9-10.7, daytime reflected energy product) gives the best coverage for day and night monitoring of water vs. ice clouds. The reflectivity product (daytime version of fog/stratus product) like the fog/stratus product allows for detection of water clouds through thin cirrus.]
4. What relative humidity threshold value should be used from the models to indicate clouds and cloud amount? [Rich Cianflone says this is covered in the NWP Operational Models Matrix]

Coastal Stratus and Fog: Would particularly like training materials on how the marine atmospheric boundary layer behaves and what processes are acting to generate this very difficult environment to forecast. Haven't seen anything that looks at the physics of the problem and then links it to operational data streams and forecasting. [COMET's West Coast Fog Module should be coming out in September. Other useful pieces of information will be found in the Radiation Fog Module.]

Pulse Severe Weather: With an emphasis on sounding analysis and using model soundings, surface RUC, and other modern tools to help predict the airmass thunderstorms that may go severe.

Marine Models and Theory: Incorporating the latest marine models and theory.