National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Welcome to HotSeat!

The NWS (National Weather Service) Hot Seat Warning Simulator is an educational tool for all ages. Created by the staff at the NWS's Peachtree City (Atlanta) Weather Forecast Office, it was unveiled at WeatherFest which opened the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in Atlanta, Georgia and has been showcased at numerous events since, most recently during the WeatherFest of the 2010 Annual Meeting of the AMS. 

This tool is intended to provide participants with an appreciation of the meteorology of severe weather events and the decision-making process that goes into NWS warnings. It must be stressed, however, that the simulator only approximates the basic severe weather operations of the NWS. There is far more information in real-world warning operations than can be presented here. Still, we think you will learn a few things about severe weather and perhaps make yourself a better user of our warnings in the process. Good luck in the Hot Seat! Remember, millions of people are depending on you!!

Lans P. Rothfusz
Meteorologist in Charge