OHD/HL - RFCDEV/HVT: workshop2

Second RFC Verification Workshop

The Second RFC Verification Workshop was held November 18-20, 2007 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The workshop was coordinated by Julie Demargne of the Office of Hydrologic Development, Kevin Werner of Western Region Science Services Division, and Mary Mullusky of the Office of Climate Water and Weather Services. The workshop was attended by representatives from all RFCs, and scientists from various universities, as well as Western Region, Salt Lake City WFO and COMET. The topics covered included RFC verification case studies and verification activities, verification metrics and graphics, effective strategies to communicate verification information, logistical verification, deterministic river forecast verification with the Interactive Verification Program (IVP) software demonstration, probabilistic river forecast verification including the Ensemble Verification System (EVS) demonstration, grid-based verification activities and issues, and future verification capabilities and training. The topics were presented as lectures, software demonstrations, and a group exercise. Overall, the workshop was well received with the most common feedback indicating that the workshop and training sessions on verification applications need to be conducted regularly.

Workshop Objectives

• Review difficulties with verification concepts and methodologies.
• Present the RFC verification case studies and activities and discuss unmet needs with current software.
• Present the progress on verification projects and capabilities within NWS and in academia (including grid-based verification).
• Propose effective strategies to communicate verification information to users, both within and outside the NWS.
• Discuss the interim and final reports of the NWS Hydrologic Forecast Verification Team, to be delivered in November 08 and February 09 respectively.
• Discuss future verification activities and training needs.

Workshop Prerequisites

• Submit at least one verification question.
• Prepare a report (~3 pages) on the RFC verification case study, including a couple of key verification graphics, for the interim NWS Hydrologic Forecast Verification Team report. This interim team report will be sent to the DOHs and the OHD management by the end of November to report the work of the team for the last year. This report will be extended to include proposed standard verification strategies for the final team report, which will be finalized by the end of February 09.
• Prepare a presentation for Day 1 to describe the RFC verification activities and the unmet needs with current software. Also for NW-, SE-, AP- and NC-RFCs, present their RFC verification case study.
• Review the COMET verification module online at http://www.meted.ucar.edu/, which is entitled: Introduction to Verification of Hydrologic Forecasts. It is listed under the section called Recent Publications. This module was reviewed by the NWS verification team members last June.

Participants

Glossary of Forecast Verification Metrics

Workshop Agenda and Presentation Material

Workshop Deliverables

• Workshop Discussions and Recommendations
  
• Verification Questions
• Verification Workshop Evaluation