ZCZC WSHPNSWSH ALL
TTAA00 KWSH DDHHMM COR
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...REPEAT. AND TWO SMALL CORRECTIONS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
930 AM EST WED APR 9 1997
TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS...NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: DONALD R. WERNLY...CHIEF...CUSTOMER SERVICE
SUBJECT: CONVECTIVE WATCH NARRATIVE PRODUCTS WILL HAVE A NEW
FORMAT...EFFECTIVE APRIL 15 1997
...TWO SMALL CORRECTIONS IN GENERIC EXAMPLE. ALL OTHER
INFORMATION REMAINS THE SAME...
BEGINNING APRIL 15 1997 AT 6:00 A.M. CDT /1100 UNIVERSAL TIME
COORDINATED /UTC/...CONVECTIVE WATCH NARRATIVE PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER AT NORMAN...OKLAHOMA WILL HAVE A
NEW FORMAT...PROVIDING IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE CURRENT VERSION.
O THE PRODUCT WILL INCLUDE BOTH BEGINNING AND ENDING
TIMES OF THE WATCH.
O TECHNICAL INFORMATION WILL BE SEPARATED FROM THE NON-
TECHNICAL INFORMATION...WITH THE LATTER SITUATED NEAR
THE TOP OF THE PRODUCT.
O INSTEAD OF "A..." "C..." "D," ETC... PARTS OF THE WATCH
WILL BE IDENTIFIED WITH KEY WORDS "DISCUSSION"..."OTHER
WATCH INFORMATION," AND "AVIATION."
O PLAIN LANGUAGE WILL BE USED TO DESCRIBE THE POTENTIAL FOR
HAIL SIZE AND THUNDERSTORM WIND.
O THE TERM "STORM MOTION VECTOR" WHICH IS MORE DESCRIPTIVE AND
SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE...WILL REPLACE "MEAN WIND VECTOR"
O LATITUDE/LONGITUDES OF WATCH BOX END POINTS WILL BE PLACED
AT THE BOTTOM AS WELL AS AT THE TOP OF THE PRODUCT. THIS
ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO PLOT THE BOX USING COMPUTER SOFTWARE.
THESE CHANGES ARE DESIGNED TO ALLOW FOR QUICKER AND EASIER
READING OF WATCH PRODUCTS. NO PRODUCT IDENTIFIER/HEADER CHANGES
AND NO UNIVERSAL GENERIC CODE CHANGES ARE REQUIRED. HOWEVER...
CUSTOMERS MAY WISH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WATCH VALID TIMES AND
LATITUDES/LONGITUDES OF WATCH BOX END POINTS FOR AUTOMATED
PLOTTING OF WATCHES. A GENERIC EXAMPLE OF THE CONVECTIVE WATCH
NARRATIVE/PRODUCT CATEGORY MKCSELX/WWUS9 KMKC FOLLOWS:
...CORRECTIONS TO EXAMPLE...
1/ TO INCLUDE "DANGEROUS LIGHTNING" IN 2ND PARAGARPH
2/ LAST PARAGRAPH /AVIATION/ CORRECTED FOR "MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR"
WWUS9 KMKC DDHHMM
MKCSELX /X=0-9/ :XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY:
//XXX=LATITUDE AND YYYY= LONGITUDE FOR EACH WATCH BOX END
POINT...SHOWS UP ONLY ON NWWS...NOT FOS//
MKC WW DDHHMM /DD=DAY OF MONTH...HHMM=HOUR AND MINUTES IN UGC/
STZ000-STZ000-ETC.-DDHHMM- /STANDARD ZONES UGC BY STATE WITH
TERMINATION DATE/TIME/
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO /OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM/ WATCH NUMBER XXXX
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
LOCAL TIME/DAY/MON/YEAR
THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO /OR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM/ WATCH FOR ALL OR PORTIONS OF
APPROPRIATE STATE SUB-REGIONS
EFFECTIVE /DAY/ FROM /LOCAL TIME/ ... TO /LOCAL TIME/
//OPTION FOR ENHANCED WORDING TO DESCRIBE A PARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS SITUATION// /OPTION FOR TORNADOES... - HAIL TO XX
INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO XX MPH AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS./
THE TORNADO /OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM/ WATCH IS ALONG AND XX
STATUTE MILES EITHER SIDE OF /OR NORTH AND SOUTH OF OR EAST AND
WEST OF/ A LINE FROM XX MILES //16-POINT COMPASS DIRECTION
SPELLED OUT// OF /LOCATION/ TO XX MILES //16-POINT COMPASS
DIRECTION SPELLED OUT// OF /LOCATION/.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO /OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM/ WATCH MEANS
CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES
//IF TORNADO WATCH// IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS
IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION.../OPTION FOR - THIS WATCH REPLACES WW
NUMBER XXXX - OTHERWISE...NONE.
DISCUSSION...//FREE PLAIN LANGUAGE TEXT TECHNICAL DISCUSSION OF
METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS NECESSITATING THE WATCH//
AVIATION.../TORNADOES AND/ A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO XX /DIAMETER/ INCHES. EXTREME
TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO XX KNOTS. A FEW
CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO XXX //HUNDREDS OF FEET//. MEAN
STORM MOTION VECTOR XXXXX //VECTOR COMPONENT IN DEGREES AND
KNOTS//.
...AUTHOR
:XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY: //WHERE XXX IS LATITUDE AND
YYYY IS LONGITUDE FOR EACH WATCH BOX END POINT//
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS...PLEASE CONTACT
WILLIAM ALEXANDER 301-713-0090 X115 PAUL JANISH 405-579-0719
E-MAIL WILLIAM.ALEXANDER@xxxxxxxx E-MAIL PAUL.JANISH@xxxxxxxx
OFFICE OF MEREOROLOGY W/OM11 STORM PREDICTION CENTER
1325 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY 1313 HALLEY CIRCLE