Fundamentals of AWIPS Course (FAC) Overview

The Fundamentals of AWIPS Course is typically assigned by your training facilitator shortly after onboarding to your local WFO. A new version has just been released for FY27, and you can access the course details here. Anyone who is taking the FY26 version should finish that version by November 20, as it will be deactivated on that date. You can access the FY26 course details here.

 

 

Course Details – FY27 Version 

(see Fundamentals of AWIPS Course (FAC) in your CLC curriculum)


You will need to work with your facilitator to coordinate a time to proctor your AWIPS Fundamentals exam and Hazard Services exam at the appropriate parts in your course (see outline below). If you have any specific questions that your facilitator can not answer, please reach out to the AWIPS team at nws.wdtd.awips@noaa.gov. This course will take approximately 15 hours to complete, so please use the following Course Details steps to keep on track.

 

1. AWIPS Fundamentals (AFUN) (~6 hours; AWIPS Fundamentals modules with embedded videos, cloud instance with training case)

  • You access the training modules for this section in the CLC.
  • You will use one monitor to practice AWIPS on a cloud instance while following along with training videos embedded within the training modules on the other monitor.
  • You will schedule your cloud instance on the CLAS webpage. 
    • After scheduling your cloud instance, you will receive a confirmation email with the information you'll need to log in at your scheduled time. 
  • Practice using AWIPS by following along with step-by-step videos embedded within the training modules. 
    • Note: the point of the WES-2 Bridge exercises is to actually practice the tasks, so watching the videos online is not sufficient.
  • After you complete each training module, you will be automatically marked complete in the CLC.

 

2a. Review AWIPS Proficiency Test Task List 

  • Review the task list review sheet PDF to assess if you are ready to take the proficiency test.
  • The AWIPS Fundamentals VLab Applet is no longer required reading for FAC but it remains as a reference with embedded job sheets to review and practice for the exam. You can also return to the training modules and videos for review practice

 

2b. Take AWIPS Proficiency Test (1–2 hours)

  • Training facilitator proctors timed test and notes scores on tasks.
  • Exam can be done on the CLAS cloud instance used for the AFUN modules or on an AWIPS workstation in practice mode.
  • Students takes a one question test from their transcript in the CLC to enable tracking.
  • Training facilitator sends scanned exam notes to Michael.Lowe@noaa.gov and Samantha.Boyd@noaa.gov, who will mark you complete for the exam in the CLC.

 

3. Hazard Services Hydrology (3–4 hours; Hazard Services Hydro module with embedded videos, cloud instance with training case)

  • You access the training module for this section in the CLC.
  • You will use one monitor to practice Hazard Services Hydro on a cloud instance while following along with training videos embedded within the module on the other monitor.
  • You will schedule your cloud instance on the CLAS webpage. 
    • After scheduling your cloud instance, you will receive a confirmation email with the information you'll need to log in at your scheduled time. 
  • Practice using Hazard Services by following along with step-by-step videos embedded within the training module. 
    • Note: the point of the WES-2 Bridge exercises is to actually practice the tasks, so watching the videos online is not sufficient.
  • After you complete the training module, you will be automatically marked complete in the CLC.

 

4. Take Hazard Services Proficiency Test (1–2 hours)

  • Directions for the exam can be found in the CLC - mark yourself complete for that part when you finish the directions.
  • Training facilitator proctors timed test and notes scores on tasks.
  • Exam must be done on the CLAS cloud instance used for the Hazard Services Hydro training.
  • Training facilitator sends scanned exam notes to Michael.Lowe@noaa.gov and Samantha.Boyd@noaa.gov, who will mark you complete for the exam in the CLC.

 

5. Hazard Services Convective (HSC) (2–3 hours)

  • You access the training modules for this section in the CLC.
  • You will use one monitor to practice HSC on a cloud instance while following along with training videos embedded within the module on the other monitor.
  • You will schedule your cloud instance on the CLAS webpage. 
    • After scheduling your cloud instance, you will receive a confirmation email with the information you'll need to log in at your scheduled time. 
  • Practice using HSC by following along with step-by-step videos embedded within the training modules. 
    • Note: the point of the WES-2 Bridge exercises is to actually practice the tasks, so watching the videos online is not sufficient.
  • After you complete each training module, you will be automatically marked complete in the CLC.
  • There is no HSC exam - as long as you have already completed AFUN, Hazard Services Hydro, and the associated exams, once you complete the HSC modules the CLC will automatically trigger your FAC course completion.

 

 

Course Details – FY26 Version 

(see Fundamentals of AWIPS Course (FAC) in your CLC curriculum)


You will need to work with your facilitator to get access to and time on the WFO WES-in-the-Cloud instance as well as proctoring the exam at the end of the training. If you have any specific questions that your facilitator can not answer, please reach out to the AWIPS team at nws.wdtd.awips@noaa.gov. This course will take approximately 15–20 hours to complete, so please use the following steps to keep on track.

 

1. Fundamentals of AWIPS Course Intro (8 minutes; CLC link for students, web link for others)

  • FAC students log into the CLC and take this short intro presentation to understand how to take the course

 

2. WES-2 Bridge Exercises (4 hours; WES-2 Bridge and test case, AWIPS Fundamentals videos and training case)

  • You will use one monitor to practice AWIPS on a WES-in-the-Cloud instance while following along with YouTube training videos on the other monitor.
  • Local facilitator provides access to WFOCluster WES-in-the-Cloud instance 
    • Local WES-2 Bridge machines have been replaced with WFOCluster_## cloud instances
  • Practice using AWIPS by following along with step-by-step videos on YouTube (see this page for links to the videos and text transcriptions)
    • Note: the point of the WES-2 Bridge exercises is to actually practice the tasks, so watching the videos online is not sufficient.
  • After you complete AWIPS Fundamentals WES Exercise groups (e.g. six videos under CAVE Basics), mark yourself complete in your transcript in the CLC. 

 

3. AWIPS Fundamentals VLab Training (10–15 hours)


  • Review web pages and practice with job sheets using specially designed AWIPS Convective Warning Fundamentals VLab applet (also available from the "Forecaster References" menu and "FAC AWIPS Fundamentals" submenu on top of page)
  • Job sheets requiring live AWIPS (e.g. RPG product submission and status monitor) or WES-2 Bridge (e.g. WarnGen) are noted in the training.
    • For a summary of the jobsheets with the web content hosted in VLab, see the VLab Jobsheets summary page. Note that most, but not all, sections of the VLab applet have VLab jobsheets.
    • Live can be used for more jobsheets, but some jobsheets are best done on the WFOCluster WES-2 Bridge managed by the local facilitator.
  • After you complete reading the AWIPS Fundamentals VLab sections and taking the embedded VLab jobsheets, mark yourself complete in your curriculum.

 

4a. Review AWIPS Proficiency Test Task List 

  • Review the task list review sheet PDF to assess if you are ready to take the proficiency test
  • Review the appropriate VLab pages, job sheets, or videos for tasks you are not prepared to demonstrate.

 

4b. Take AWIPS Proficiency Test (1–2 hours)

  • Training facilitator proctors timed test and notes scores on tasks
  • Students takes a one question test from their transcript in the CLC to enable tracking
  • Training facilitator sends scanned exam notes to Michael.Lowe@noaa.gov and Samantha.Boyd@noaa.gov (or send via mail), and they mark you complete
  • Proficiency Test needs to be completed before beginning the Radar and Applications Course (RAC)