980922: Winter Wx Severity Index-Part 1-NOUS (fwd)

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 980922: Winter Wx Severity Index-Part 1-NOUS (fwd)
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 09:27:45 -0600 (MDT)

637 
NOUS41 KWBC 221424
PNSWSH
 
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...PART 1 OF 2
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1030 AM EDT TUE SEP 22 1998
 
TO        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ EMPLOYEES...FAMILY OF
          SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
          /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS
 
FROM      THERESE S. PIERCE...CHIEF...INTEGRATED
          HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
 
SUBJECT   PART 1 OF 2 - IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW WINTER WEATHER
          SEVERITY INDEX /WWSI/ TO IDENTIFY THE FORECAST IMPACT
          OF WINTER WEATHER EVENTS IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND THE
          NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...EFFECTIVE NOV 25 1998 
 
EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 25 1998 AT 400 AM MST /1100 UTC/...THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE /NWSFO/ IN CHEYENNE
WYOMING WILL IMPLEMENT A TEST OF A NEWLY DEVELOPED WINTER WEATHER
SEVERITY INDEX /WWSI/ TO CONVEY THE FORECAST IMPACT OF WINTER
WEATHER ELEMENTS.  THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
APRIL 30 1999.  IN MAY 1999...BASED UPON SURVEY RESULTS RECEIVED
FROM NWS CUSTOMERS DURING THE TEST PERIOD...A DECISION WILL BE
MADE REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THIS PROGRAM.  POTENTIAL RESULTS OF
THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT INCLUDE:
 
  * FURTHER REFINEMENT OF THE INDEX AND A SECOND SEASON OF
     TESTING IN 1999-2000
  * EXPANSION OF THE CONCEPT TO OTHER NWS OFFICES AND
     GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS IN 1999-2000
  * DISCONTINUANCE OF THE WWSI PROGRAM
 
UNDER THIS NEW SYSTEM...WINTER STORM WATCHES WILL STILL BE ISSUED
AS IN THE PAST.  AS CERTAINTY OF THE DEVELOPING STORM
INCREASES...FORECASTERS WILL ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR
WX1 THROUGH WX5 WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS INSTEAD OF THE PAST
PRACTICE OF ISSUING VARIOUS ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS.  THE
BULLETIN WOULD DESCRIBE THE OVERALL FORECAST WEATHER CONDITIONS
FOR THE STORM AREA AND IDENTIFY THE LOCATIONS EXPECTED TO BE
IMPACTED BY EACH CATEGORY OF WINTER WEATHER SEVERITY...USING THE
GUIDELINES LISTED IN TABLE 1 OF PART 2 OF THIS TWO-PART
NOTIFICATION. ADDITIONALLY...THE WWSI IMPACT CATEGORY /WX1
THROUGH WX5/ BEING FORECAST WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE BODY OF THE
SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND NEBRASKA PANHANDLE ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT.
 
ALL PRODUCTS ISSUED UNDER THIS NEW SYSTEM WILL ADHERE TO THE
STANDARD FORMATS SCHEDULED TO BE IN PLACE AT THE TIME OF THEIR
ISSUANCE /I.E. SEGMENTED FORMAT FOR WINTER STORM PRODUCTS/.  
 
THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT TEST WILL NOT REQUIRE ANY PRODUCT
IDENTIFIER /HEADER CHANGES OR UNIVERSAL GENERIC CODE /UGC/
CHANGES FOR NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ CUSTOMERS...FAMILY
OF SERVICES /FOS/ CUSTOMERS...OR OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS THAT ALREADY
RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS-
 
PRODUCT NAME             NWWS ID    WMO HEADING
 
SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND    CYSZFPCYS  FPUS55 KCYS
 NEBRASKA PANHANDLE                        
 ZONE FORECAST                      
 
WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE   CYSWSWCYS  WWUS46 KCYS /BEFORE NOV. 30/  
                                    WWUS45 KCYS /AFTERWARD/
                                             
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF THIS TEST
COINCIDES WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF THE NEW NWWS ID FOR THE
SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND NEBRASKA PANHANDLE ZONES /CYSZFPCYS/.  
 
THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT TEST WILL ONLY AFFECT THE ZONE FORECAST
AREAS INCLUDED IN TABLE 2 OF PART 2 OF THIS TWO-PART
NOTIFICATION.
 
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT YOU
MAY CONTACT:
 
MIKE LOONEY                      WILLIAM T. PARKER
CHIEF...METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES  METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE
NWS CENTRAL REGION HEADQUARTERS  NWS FORECAST OFFICE CHEYENNE WY
601 E 12TH STREET                1301 AIRPORT PARKWAY
KANSAS CITY MISSOURI 64106       CHEYENNE WYOMING 82001
816-426-3239 EXT 701             307-772-2468 EXT 642
MIKE.LOONEY@xxxxxxxx             WILLIAM.PARKER@xxxxxxxx
 
JOE SULLIVAN
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NWS FORECAST OFFICE CHEYENNE WY
1301 AIRPORT PARKWAY
CHEYENNE WYOMING 82001
307-772-2468 EXT 726
JOSEPH.SULLIVAN@xxxxxxxx
 
...NOTE TO INTERNET USERS...
THIS AND ALL OTHER PENDING NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE NWS OFFICE OF METEOROLOGY/S HOME PAGE IN THE
NOTIFICATION SECTION.  THE ADDRESS OF THE NOTIFICATION SECTION
/IN SMALL CASE LETTERS/ IS
 
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
 
END OF PART 1 OF 2