20040802: VTEC implementation

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 20040802: VTEC implementation
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 13:41:11 -0600

NOUS41 KWBC 021847
PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 04-45
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
240 PM EDT MON AUG 2 2004

TO:       FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...
         NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...
         EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
         /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAAPORT SUBSCRIBERS...
         OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS
         AND PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:     ROBERT J. MCLEOD
         CHIEF...AWARENESS BRANCH
         OFFICE OF CLIMATE...WATER...AND WEATHER SERVICES

SUBJECT:  OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VALID TIME EVENT
         CODE /VTEC/ IN MOST NWS EVENT-DRIVEN PRODUCTS
         EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 8 2005

ON TUESDAY FEBRUARY 8 2005 AT 1800 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME
/UTC/...ALL WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES /WFO/ WILL OPERATIONALLY
IMPLEMENT THE VALID TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/ IN MOST EVENT-DRIVEN
OR NON-ROUTINE PRODUCTS. VTEC WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THE
NATIONAL WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE MESSAGE /WOU/ ISSUED BY THE STORM
PREDICTION CENTER. IF FEBRUARY 8 2005 IS DECLARED A NATIONAL
CRITICAL WEATHER DAY...IMPLEMENTATION WILL OCCUR ON THE NEXT
WEEKDAY NOT DECLARED A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY.

THE VTEC ALWAYS IS USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH...AND PROVIDES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION TO THE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE
/UGC/ TO FURTHER AID IN THE AUTOMATED DELIVERY OF NWS TEXT
PRODUCTS TO USERS. THE VTEC PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE EVENT.
THE UGC DESCRIBES THE AFFECTED GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

THERE ARE TWO FORMS OF VTEC...THE PRIMARY OR P-VTEC AND... IN
CERTAIN HYDROLOGIC PRODUCTS... A SUPPLEMENTARY HYDROLOGIC OR H-
VTEC ALWAYS USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH AND OCCURS ON THE LINE
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE P-VTEC STRING/S/.

THE P-VTEC STRING/S/ AND ANY H-VTEC STRING/S/ OCCUR IMMEDIATELY
AFTER THE UGC STRING AND...DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE PRODUCT IS
SEGMENTED OR NOT...WILL OCCUR IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE PRODUCT.

BEGINNING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE...THE FOLLOWING NWS WFO TEXT
PRODUCT CATEGORIES WILL CONTAIN OPERATIONAL VTEC:

  PUBLIC PRODUCTS

     SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING                    SVR
     TORNADO WARNING                                TOR
     SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT                       SVS
     WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION                      WCN
     WINTER STORM WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY            WSW
     NON-PRECIPITATION WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY       NPW

  HYDROLOGIC PRODUCTS

     FLASH FLOOD WARNING                            FFW
     FLOOD WARNING                                  FLW
     FLOOD WATCH                                    FFA
     FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT                          FFS
     FLOOD STATEMENT                                FLS

  COASTAL AND MARINE PRODUCTS

     SPECIAL MARINE WARNING                         SMW
     COASTAL FLOOD WATCH/WARNING/STATEMENT          CFW
     LAKESHORE FLOOD WATCH/WARNING/STATEMENT        CFW
     HIGH SURF ADVISORY                             CFW
     MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT /ONLY THOSE
        WHICH FOLLOW UP AN SMW PRODUCT/             MWS

  FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS

     RED FLAG WARNING                               RFW
     FIRE WEATHER WATCH                             RFW

BEGINNING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE...THE FOLLOWING NWS NATIONAL
TEXT PRODUCT CATEGORY WILL CONTAIN OPERATIONAL VTEC:

  STORM PREDICTION CENTER PRODUCT

     WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE                           WOU

ADDITIONAL NWS TROPICAL WEATHER AND ROUTINE MARINE TEXT PRODUCTS
ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN INCLUDING VTEC AT A LATER DATE. THE
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE FOR THOSE PRODUCTS WILL BE LISTED IN
FUTURE SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES.

BEFORE THE OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION...THERE WILL BE A COMBINED
VTEC AND WATCH BY COUNTY OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION (OTE) TO
GIVE NWS FORECASTERS...CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
CHECK SOFTWARE ENCODING AND DECODING SYSTEMS BEFORE
IMPLEMENTATION.

VTEC WILL BE TURNED ON AT SELECTED NWS OFFICES ON AUGUST 26
2004... WITH THE OTE SCHEDULED TO RUN FROM AUGUST 30 2004 TO
OCTOBER 8 2004. DURING THE OTE... THE SELECTED NWS OFFICES WILL
ISSUE OPERATIONAL AND TEST PRODUCTS CONTAINING VTEC STRINGS.
FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE OTE... INCLUDING A LIST OF SELECTED
OFFICES... WILL BE CONTAINED IN A PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT TO
BE ISSUED IN EARLY AUGUST.

AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE OTE... THERE WILL BE A JOINT NWS/NWS
PARTNER ASSESSMENT OF VTEC. A PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
WITH THE FINAL IMPLEMENTATION DECISION FOR VTEC WILL BE ISSUED BY
NOVEMBER 9 2004.

VTEC IS DESCRIBED IN FURTHER DETAIL IN NWS INSTRUCTION 10-1703...
WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS DIRECTIVES WEB SITE AT /USE LOWER
CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DIRECTIVES

MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON VTEC CAN BE FOUND AT THE VTEC WEB
SITE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/VTEC

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...PLEASE CONTACT:

     HERB WHITE
     DISSEMINATION SERVICES MANAGER
     SILVER SPRING MARYLAND
     PHONE:  301-713-0090 X 146
     E-MAIL:  HERBERT.WHITE@xxxxxxxx

THIS AND OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE POSTED ON /USE
LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM

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