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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
125 PM EST THU JAN 9 1997
TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ EMPLOYEES...FAMILY OF
SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
/NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS
FROM DONALD R. WERNLY...CHIEF...CUSTOMER SERVICE
SUBJECT SHORT-FUSE SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS FROM SIX NWS
OFFICES TO TAKE ON A NEW LOOK...EFFECTIVE MARCH 12 1997
BEGINNING MARCH 12 1997 AT 600 AM CST / 1200 UNIVERSAL TIME
COORDINATED OR UTC/...SHORT FUSE SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS ISSUED
BY THE FOLLOWING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES /NWSO/ AND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES /NWSFO/ WILL HAVE A
DIFFERENT APPEARANCE.
CODE
OFFICE /NNN/
NWSFO MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN MKE
NWSFO DETROIT/PONTIAC MICHIGAN DTX
NWSFO CHEYENNE WYOMING CYS
NWSO GOODLAND KANSAS GLD
NWSO MARQUETTE MICHIGAN MQT
NWSO LACROSSE WISCONSIN LSE
THE SHORT-FUSE WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED WITH A BULLET STYLE FORMAT
INSTEAD OF A LONGER VERSION USED IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
THIS FORMAT ALLOWS CRITICAL INFORMATION TO CLEARLY STANDOUT ON
INDIVIDUAL LINES SEPARATED BY A BLANK LINE. THE NEW APPEARANCE
MAKES IT EASIER TO REVIEW AND READ THE WARNING QUICKLY.
NO PRODUCT IDENTIFIER/HEADER CHANGES AND NO UNIVERSAL GENERIC
CODE CHANGES ARE REQUIRED BY NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/
CUSTOMERS...FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ CUSTOMERS...OR OTHER NWS
CUSTOMERS. HOWEVER SOME TELEVISION STATIONS...POSSIBLY INCLUDING
CABLE TELEVISION...WILL NEED TO ENSURE EQUIPMENT USED TO GENERATE
A CRAWL WILL ACCOMMODATE THE NEW WARNING FORMAT.
THE SHORT-FUSE WARNING PRODUCTS AFFECTED ARE
SHORT-FUSE WARNING PRODUCT NWWS ID WMO HEADER FOR FOS
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING CCCSVRNNN WUUS1 KNNN
TORNADO WARNING CCCTORNNN WFUS1 KNNN
FLASH FLOOD WARNING CCCFFWNNN WRUS1 KNNN
CONTENT OF THE WARNINGS WILL REMAIN THE SAME...ONLY THE
APPEARANCE WILL LOOK SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. NWS OFFICES IN DES
MOINES IOWA...MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA...KANSAS CITY MISSOURI...AND
PUEBLO COLORADO USED THE NEW FORMAT DURING 1996. CUSTOMER
SURVEYS PRODUCED HIGH MARKS AND POSITIVE COMMENTS FROM THE MEDIA
AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS. A SAMPLE WARNING FORMAT FOLLOWS:
MSPTORMSP
WFUS1 KMSP
MNC999-221345-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
814 AM CDT MON APR 22 1996
* TORNADO WARNING FOR
TEST COUNTY - SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
* UNTIL 845 AM CDT
* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
TEST CITY
EXAMPLE TOWN
* AT 812 AM CDT DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A TORNADO 10 MILES
WEST OF TEST CITY MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
* THE STORM WILL BE NEAR TEST CITY AT 830 AM.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IN A
HOME OR BUSINESS IS AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
POSSIBLE.
...END OF EXAMPLE...
THIS FORMAT MAY BE USED BY THE NWS OFFICE FOR A TEST TORNADO
WARNING AS PART OF THE ANNUAL OR MONTHLY TORNADO DRILLS...
BEGINNING THIS SPRING. THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO ENSURE THAT
YOUR WARNING COMMUNICATION SYSTEM CAN ADAPT TO THE NEW WARNING
DESIGN.
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS...PLEASE CONTACT
DAVID RUNYAN 816-426-3239 EXT 703 E-MAIL DAVID.RUNYAN@xxxxxxxx
OR MIKE LOONEY 816-426-3239 EXT 701
NWS CENTRAL REGION HEADQUARTERS...ROOM 1836
601 E. 12TH STREET
KANSAS CITY MISSOURI 64106
...NOTE TO INTERNET USERS...
THIS AND ALL OTHER PENDING NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE FOLLOWING URL ADDRESS /IN LOWER CASE LETTERS/
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
END