Theme: Forecast verification methods across time and space scales

The Seventh International Verification Methods Workshop is being organised by the WMO Joint Working Group on forecast Verification Research and will be hosted in Berlin, Germany, jointly by the Free University of Berlin, the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Development, the Hans-Ertel-Centre for Weather Research (HErZ) and the German Weather Service DWD, from May 3 - 11, 2017.

The goal of the workshop is to discuss and promote all aspects of verification methodology research and practice, as applied to weather forecasts and warnings, climate predictions, and their applications. Special sessions are planned on verification methods for sub-seasonal and longer range forecasts. Participants are welcome from operational, research and forecast user communities.

The workshop will be in two parts:

Tutorial, May 3-6, 2017

i) the tutorial on forecast verification methods (May 3 - 6) with lectures and hands-on laboratory sessions using the R statistical language. Deadline for application to the tutorial is January 31, 2017. Tutorial participants are encouraged to stay for the conference.

Science Conference, May 8-11, 2017

ii) the science conference (May 8 - 11) including keynote talks along with contributed presentations and posters. Abstracts are solicited on all aspects of verification methodology. Note that the focus of abstracts and presentations should be on the methodology rather than application of the methods to specific datasets. Subjects of interest include but are not limited to:

• verification of high impact weather and extremes
• properties of verification methods
• use of alternative observations
• observation uncertainty
• verification methods for data sparse areas (e.g. polar regions)
• user-oriented verification and estimation of forecast value
• methods for verification of probability and ensemble forecasts
• spatial verification methods and verification approaches
• software and measures used to evaluate operational predictions, including verification methods used to justify upgrades to operational models. 
• papers focused on the adaptation of established methods to different space and time scales, for example subseasonal to seasonal and longer-term forecasts and projections, are particularly welcome.

Registration for the science conference is separate from the tutorial registration; tutorial participants are encouraged to stay for the conference.