COURSE GOALS

The COMET Mesoscale Analysis and Prediction (COMAP) is a 6 weeek course designed for NWS Science and Operations Officers (SOOs). Additionally, other NWS Employees and representatives from DOD weather services fill some slots in each class.

The goals of the COMAP Course are to:

1. Increase participants' knowledge of mesoscale meteorology
2. Enhance participants' knowledge of the capabilities, limitations and applications of new observing systems, and
   mesoscale modeling systems
3. Improve participants' skills in forecasting mesoscale weather phenomena
4. Enhance participants' ability to lead on-station-training programs
5. Prepare participants to fully utilize COMET distance learning materials
6. Improve participants' understanding of the applied research/forecatsting techniques development methodology

The COMAP Course, which is taught at the graduate level to experienced operational forecasters, has six major components:

1. Major case studies that provide a mechanism for introducing much of the course subject matter. Case studies will cover the general subjects of winter storms, mesoscale structure of tropical and extratropical cyclones, NWP, convective storm phenomena, and fire weather
2. Seminars that cover special topics taught by visiting experts from across the country and the Boulder research community
3. Daily forecasts and briefings of current weather that allow group interaction and discussion of the forecast proces
4. Lectures and discussion of the applied research process that illustrate to participants how they might lead forecast technique development at their forecast office
5. Use of Computer-Based Learning in the WFO
6. Independent study of selected topics

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