About the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education
and Training (COMET®)
Description
In 1989 the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
and the National Weather Service (NWS) established the Cooperative
Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET®)
to promote a better understanding of mesoscale meteorology and to
maximize the benefits of new weather technologies. Today the COMET
Program addresses education and training needs in the atmospheric
and related sciences through three main activities:
- Distance Education: COMET produces and delivers online, interactive
professional development materials that also serve as readily available
reference resources. The majority of these are available at no cost
on our MetEd Website.
- Residence
Classes: We offer advanced hydrometeorological education for
the working professional in a classroom and forecasting laboratory
environment at the COMET facility in Boulder, CO.
- Outreach Program: With funding
from the NWS and other agencies, we provide financial support to
universities for applied research projects conducted in collaboration
with local forecast offices. These projects promote the transfer
of science to practice and serve the public good.
The COMET staff includes meteorologists,
hydrologists, computer scientists, graphic artists, and instructional
designers as well as administrative, information technology, and quality
assurance specialists. The COMET Program Director is Dr. Timothy Spangler,
and the Deputy Director is Dr. Joe Lamos.
COMET's Mission
The COMET Program’s mission is to serve as a premier resource
that supports, enhances, and stimulates the communication and application
of scientific knowledge of the atmospheric and related sciences for
the operational and educational communities.
Parent Organization
and Sponsors
The COMET® Program is part of the University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research's (UCAR's) Community Programs (UCP).
The COMET® Program is sponsored by NOAA National Weather Service (NWS), with additional funding by:
Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA)
Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)
Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC)
National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)
National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS)
NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS)
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC)
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