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NOUS41 KWBC 211834
PNSNMC
NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION MESSAGE /NTIM/ 96-12
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
230 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 1996
TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/OFFICES...FAMILY OF
SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS
FROM THERESE Z. PIERCE...CHIEF...INTEGRATED
HYDOMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES CORE
SUBJECT END-TO-END COMMUNICATIONS TEST OF CERTAIN AVIATION
PRODUCTS.
ON WEDNESDAY...MAY 22 1966...BEGINNING AT 1520UCT /11:20AM
EDT/...THE AVIATION WEATHER CENTER IN KANSAS CITY WILL RUN A TEST
AND ISSUE THE FOLLOWING AVIATION FORECASTS USING THE METAR/TAF
TERMINOLOGY AND CODING CONVENTIONS IN THE DESCRIPTIVE WEATHER
TEXT:
PRODUCT TIME
AREA FORECAST...CHIC FA 1520Z
AIRMET...BOSS WA 1620Z
CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1720Z
NON-CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1820Z
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 ABOUT 10 MINUTES... BY A CORRECTION USING THE
CURRENT TERMINOLOGY. THE NON-CONVECTIVE SIGMET ISSUED AT 1820Z
WILL BE CANCELED 10 MINUTES AFTER DISTRIBUTION.
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/...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