Greetings SOOs,

    The Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB) and the Forecast Decision
Training Branch / Science and Training Resource Center (FDTB/STRC), is
pleased to announce the release of six winter weather simulations for the
Weather Event Simulator (WES).

    The six simulations are presented in two new case modules available from
the National Case Study Library (CSL), part of the Science and Training
Resource Center:

     http://strc.comet.ucar.edu

    These new additions to the CSL are from the 9-11 December 2000 winter
weather event and represent case modules #9 (ILX localization) and #10 (LOT
localization). Companion simulation guides are also available from the
SOO/STRC.

    The materials for the simulations were based upon the laboratory
exercises WDTB presented to the 100 or so forecast offices that participated
in the 4 WDTB Winter Weather Warning Decision Making Workshops conducted
from 2001 to 2003.  A key goal for these simulations is to enable forecaster
the opportunity to apply many of the Winter Weather WDM presentations. You
can download these presentations here:

     http://wdtb.noaa.gov/workshop/WinterWxIV/index.html

    These simulations include several firsts for a WDTB simulation:
      -  The simulations take place over multiple days
      -  You can run the simulation from multiple CWAs
      -  Implementation of the WES scripting language (WESSL) providing
         data sources that are not available from AWIPS (e.g. spotter
         reports, web cams, etc.)
      -  You have the opportunity to make use of ensembles with climatic
         anomalies
      -  Hourly Workstation Eta model output with 15 km native grids
      -  Bufkit profiles (the simulation includes the latest version of
         Bufkit)

    To make fully use of these simulations requires your WES workstation to
be running the WES Build 1.3 software (released last month).

  Sincerely,

    Ed Mahoney        - Branch Chief / Warning Decision Training Branch
    Robert Rozumalski - SOO Science and Training Resource Coordinator