RAC AWIPS Convective Warning Fundamentals

FY25-1 Course Schedule

  • October 16, 2024 - Course materials updated and student email sent (transcripts and videos for reference)
  • October 16, 2024 - Proficiency Test emailed to facilitators and review sheet PDF in VLab
  • December 10, 2024 - AWIPS Fundamentals and Proficiency Exam deadline  
  • January 24, 2025 - Hazard Services Proficiency Exam deadline
    • Hazard Services training a prerequisite for Flash Flood Applied Performance Drills in the cloud  
  • February 5, 2025 - Flash Flood Applied Performance Drills deadline 
  • February 17-21, 2025 - Take Severe Workshop Primer (2-3hrs) on local WES-2 Bridge week before workshop
    • No later than 17z on Friday
  • February 24-28, 2025 - Workshop in National Weather Center

Course Details 

(see FY25-1 RAC: AWIPS Convective Warning Fundamentals in your CLC RAC curriculum)

1. AWIPS Convective Warning Fundamentals Intro (8min; CLC link for students, web link for others)

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

2. AWIPS Convective Warning Fundamentals VLab Training (10-20 hrs)


  • 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 "RAC 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 RAC curriculum.

 

3. WES-2 Bridge Exercises (4hrs; 17.3.1 WES-2 Bridge and test case, AWIPS Fundamentals videos and training case)

  • Local facilitator provides access to WFOCluster cloud instance containing 19.3.4 WES-2 Bridge 
    • Local WES-2 Bridge machines are being terminated and replaced with WFOCluster_## cloud instances
    • Training accessed under Applications->WDTD->WDTD Training Resources menu using the "FY22v1 AWIPS Fundamentals W2B Exercises" and "FY22v1 RAC Applied Performance Drills" on WES-2 Bridge  
  • Practice using AWIPS with step-by-step videos (see transcriptions page for text transcriptions and copies of the videos)
    • 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. 5 videos under CAVE Basics), mark yourself complete in your RAC transcript in the CLC. 

 

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 (1-2hrs)

  • RAC facilitator proctors timed test and notes scores on tasks
  • RAC students takes a one question test from their transcript in the CLC to enable tracking
  • RAC 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 coming to the workshop (ideally completed a month before the workshop) and before the Workshop Primer which is designed to be completed the week before the workshop (or as close to the workshop as possible).

 

4c. Hazard Services Training (3-4hrs) 

  • Hazard Services-related training (including the subsequent exam and flash flood applied performance drills) is taken in the cloud using separate instructions and machines than most of the WES materials in RAC.
    • See the "Instructions for the Hazard Services Training and Proficiency Exam" in your CLC transcript
    • Students sign up for a cloud session using WDTD's Cloud Automated Scheduler (CLAS).
    • Student use follow-along videos and a CAVE session to learn Hazard Services

 

4d. Hazard Services Proficiency Exam (1-2hrs) 

  • Coordinate with your facilitator before scheduling your Hazard Services exam session in the cloud.
  • See the "Instructions for the Hazard Services Training and Proficiency Exam" in your CLC transcript for access to special instructions for scheduling the Hazard Services exam. 
  • RAC facilitator sends scanned exam notes to Michael.Lowe@noaa.gov and Samantha.Boyd@noaa.gov (or send via mail), and they mark you complete

 

5. Additional Related RAC WES/Cloud Information

  • Severe Applied Performance Drills (3-4 hours)
    • Coordinate with your facilitator to take this training on your WFOCluster cloud machine as part of the Convective Storm Structure and Evolution topic.
    • Launch the severe training from the Applications->WDTD->WDTD Training Resources menu (FY22v1 RAC Applied Performance Drills) and practice, following along with videos.
  • Impact-Based Warning Exercises (2 hours)
    • This has been removed from RAC for 24-3.
  • Flash Flood Applied Performance Drills (3-4 hours)
    • Schedule the Flash Flood Applied Performance Drills in the cloud following the "Flash Flood Applied Performance Drills" instructions in the CLC when you get to the flash flood topic. 
    • This training requires Hazard Services
  • Severe Workshop Primer (2-3 hours)
    • Coordinate with your facilitator to take this training on your WFOCluster cloud machine.
    • Take this the week before the RAC workshop (by Friday 17z) or as close to that as you can.
    • On the WFOCluster_## machine, launch the severe training from the Applications->WDTD->WDTD Training Resources menu (FY22v1 RAC Workshop Primer) and follow along with videos that begin putting everything together to issue warnings with AWIPS procedures used in the workshop.
  • Primer Survey (10 min)
    • The last item listed in the Primer section of your CLC curriculum is a link to a Google Form.
    • This survey asks your comfort level with the Primer-related material, and should be completed after you have finished ALL of the Severe Primer tasks.
    • Once the survey is completed, WDTD will mark you complete for the Primer.
  • RAC References 
  • The procedures used in the RAC WES exercises and workshop are available on the RAC References page. 

For any questions about completing AWIPS Fundamentals contact nws.wdtd.awips@noaa.gov.