NWS Professional Development Series (PDS) in 
Climate Services Training Program 

Intended Audience: 
• NWS Local Offices Climate Focal Points 
• NWS Regional Headquarters Climate 

Program Managers 
• NWS Headquarters Climate Services 

Personnel 
• Air Force Climate Specialists 

Additional Information: 
The PDS Website: 
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/csd/pds/index.htm 

Questions? Comments? 
Please contact: 
Climate PDS Executive Producer: 
Marina Timofeyeva, UCAR/NWS/NOAA 
Marina.Timofeyeva@noaa.gov 
301 713 1970 ext. 131 

PCU1 Producer: 
Eric Luebehusen, CPC 

PCU2 Producers: 
Deirdre Kann, WFO ABQ 
Klaus Weickmann, CDC/OAR 
Matthew Newman, CDC/OAR 
Wendy Abshire, COMET/UCAR 

PCU3 Producer: 
Ed O’Lenic, CPC/NCEP 
PCU4 Producer: 
Julie Adolphson, WFO GGW 

PCU5 Producer: 
Chuck McGill, WFO BTV 

PCU6 Producers: 
Robert Leffler, CSD/OCWWS/NWS 
Kelly Redmond, WRCC 

Residence Training Online Training Distance Learning 
PCU1 Quick climate info reference 
PCU2 2004 courses: 
June 26-28 and August 26-28 

Online prerequisites 
Five Webcasts 
PCU3 Interactive exercise
 Three tele-training sessions
 PCU4 Online instructions 
PCU5 Online instructions 
PCU6 One tele-training topic 

Residence Training 
The Residence Training is a 4.5-day Climate 
Variability Symposia at the NWS/ Cooperative 
Program for Operational Meteorology, Education 
and Training (COMET) in Boulder CO. These 
workshops are organized and conducted jointly by 
NWS and OAR’s Climate Diagnostics Center 
(CDC), are taught by experts from CPC, OAR 
Laboratories, NWS Headquarters, and Universities, 
and are partially supported by NOAA’s Climate 
Program. In these symposia NWS Science and 
Operations Officers and other specialized field staff 
are provided with a background on climate 
variability and change, the latest developments in 
climate analysis and prediction (including CPC 
operations), and methods for documenting and 
forecasting local climate fluctuations. 
The residence training supports Climate 
Services PDS PCU 2, PCU 3, and PCU4. 
FY04 Residence Training Sessions will be 
offered during 
April 26 – 30 and 
July 26 – 30, 2004 

Residence Training Topics: 
Tele-connection 
ENSO 
MJO 
Climate 
Analysis 
Tools 
Local Climate 
Studies 
DownscalingComposites 
Medium & 
Long RangeClimate 
Prediction: 
Monsoons 
PDO, 
Ocean-
Atmosphere 
Interaction 
Climate 
ChangeDrought, 
Soil 
Moisture 

Distance Learning Webcasts 
Five webcasts have been developed as a follow up of 
the Residence Training and are available at 
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/csd/pds/pcu2/web/index.htm. 
Three more webcasts will be added in 2004 including 
topics on Teleconnection, Climate Change and 
Causes and Prediction of Drought. 

Online Training 
Online training includes web based information on 
available Climate Data, access links to Climate Forecasts 
and quick reference on Climate information supporting 
PCU1. A number of Residence Training Prerequisites and 
instructions how to conduct local climate studies as well as 
understand local climatology are available for online 
training. 

Training on NWS climate products supporting PCU3 is a 
self-guided, interactive, on-line exercise that helps to 
understand the foundation of NWS/NCEP Climate 
Prediction Center products in order to integrate climatic 
factors into local products and services. This training will 
maximize the effectiveness of customer outreach. 

Tele-training 
More information on PCU3 and PCU4 tele-training: 
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/csd/pds/pcu4/teletraining.htm 
In FY04 Q2 PCU6 will offer a new teletraining 
topic “Applying the Ten Commandments of 
Climate Monitoring in NWS Field Operations” 
by Tim Owen (NCDC) and Robert Leffler (NWS). 
The purpose of this training is to provide NWS 
field personnel with the knowledge necessary to 
ensure that weather observations are collected 
in accordance with NOAA’s climate record 
responsibilities. 

More information on PCU6 Teletraining is at 
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/csd/pds/pcu6/teletraining.htm 
Topics supporting 
PCU3 and PCU4 Training Status 
Navigating CPC Website by 
JulieAdolphson and Edward O’Lenic 
Expected in 2004 Audio Visit 
View presentation after 10 live 
offerings in 2003 

NOAA Hurricane Seasonal 
outlooks by Gerald Bell 
5 sessions conducted in 2003, 
session will resume in 2004 
CPC Week Two Forecasting 
by Edward O’Lenic Expected in FY04 Q3 
Climate Services PDS 

The purpose of this PDS is to facilitate NWS field 
staff’s understanding and application of climate prod-
ucts and services (e.g., NCEP, NOAA laboratories, 
Data Center products and papers). Field climate 
personnel must be able (1) to incorporate and apply 
new ideas and techniques of dynamic and statistical 
climatology at the local level; (2) to communicate 
climate information and concepts as part of the office 
outreach program; and (3) to ensure that weather 
observations are collected in accordance with NOAA’s 
climate record responsibilities. 
Instructional Components: 
• Residence training 
• Distance learning including: 
- Web casts and Tele-training sessions 
- Web based information and self guided, 
interactive, online exercises