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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
130 PM EDT WED MAY 15 1996
TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/OFFICES...FAMILY OF
SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS
FROM THERESE Z. PIERCE...CHIEF...INTEGRATED
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES CORE
SUBJECT END-TO-END COMMUNICATIONS TEST OF CERTAIN AVIATION
PRODUCTS.
ON WEDNESDAY...MAY 22 1966...ABOUT 1500 UTC (11:00 AM
EDT)...THE AVIATION WEATHER CENTER IN KANSAS CITY WILL RUN A TEST
AND ISSUE THE FOLLOWING FORECASTS USING THE METAR/TAF TERMINOLOGY
AND CODING CONVENTIONS:
AN AVIATION SIGMET (DOMESTIC)
AN AVIATION AIRMET
AN AVIATION AREA FORECAST
EACH PRODUCT IS EXPECTED TO BE A VALID WARNING/FORECAST. TO
BEST ASSURE THAT NO INFORMATION WILL BE LOST...EACH PRODUCT WILL
BE FOLLOWED...AFTER A SHORT TIME... BY A CORRECTION USING THE
CURRENT TERMINOLOGY.
THESE PRODUCTS WILL USE THE CURRENT AFOS AND WMO
HEADERS...BUT THE METEOROLOGICAL DESCRIPTION WILL CONTAIN THE NEW
METAR/TAF TERMINOLOGY...E.G. WEATHER CODES...CLOUD HEIGHT
FOLLOWING SKY COVER CONTRACTION...ICAO 4-LETTER IDENTIFIERS (IN
TEXT ONLY)...STANDARD ICAO AND FAA ABBREVIATIONS AND
CONTRACTIONS.
EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 1996 AT 0800 UTC...THESE AVIATION PRODUCTS
AS WELL AS THE TRANSCRIBED ROUTE FORECASTS (TWEB)...PILOT
REPORTS...CENTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND METEOROLOGICAL IMPACT
STATEMENTS WILL UTILIZE THE NEW TERMINOLOGY.
IN THE EVENT OF EXTREME WEATHER OR OTHER DIFFICULTIES...
MAY 24 WILL BE AN ALTERNATE DATE FOR THE TEST.
IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEST...PLEASE
CONTACT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
ROBERT KREBS DOUG MATHEWS
NWS HEADQUARTERS AVIATION WEATHER CENTER
SILVER SPRING, MD KANSAS CITY, MO
301 713 1726 X141 816 426 3427 X239
END