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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
155 PM EDT WED MAY 14 1997
TO FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS... NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS... OTHER NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS... NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: RICH PRZYWARTY... CHIEF... SERVICE DIVISION
OFFICE OF METEOROLOGY
SUBJECT: ADDITIONAL 6-HOURLY QUANTITATIVE PRECIPITATION
FORECASTS /QPFS/ PRODUCED BY THE
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER
/HPC/..EFFECTIVE JULY 31 1997.
EFFECTIVE JULY 31 1997... THE HPC WILL BEGIN ISSUING TWO
NEW 6-HOURLY QPFS TWICE A DAY THAT WILL EXTEND THE RANGE OF THESE
PRODUCTS TO 30 HOURS INTO THE FUTURE FROM THESE TWO PARTICULAR
ISSUANCE TIMES. CURRENTLY... THE HPC ISSUES 6-HOURLY QPFS FOUR
TIMES A DAY... WHICH GO APPROXIMATELY 18 HOURS INTO THE FUTURE.
WITH THE ADDITIONAL FORECASTS...QPF GUIDANCE WILL NOW EXTEND 30
HOURS INTO THE FUTURE. THESE ADDITIONAL 6-HOURLY QPFS WILL
PROVIDE GUIDANCE REQUESTED BY THE WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES /WFOS/
AND THE RIVER FORECAST CENTERS /RFCS/ TO SUPPORT RIVER STAGE
FORECASTING DONE BY THE RFCS. THIS REQUEST WAS FORMALLY PUT
FORTH THROUGH A HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION WORKING GROUP
/HIWG/ SESSION.
THE NEW FORECASTS WILL BE ISSUED TWICE A DAY... AT
APPROXIMATELY 1000 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME /UTC/ AND 1800 UTC.
THESE GRAPHICS WILL BE IDENTICAL IN FORMAT TO EXISTING 6-HOURLY
FORECASTS... MEANING THEY WILL BE AREAL AVERAGE RAINFALL/MELTED
PRECIPITATION AMOUNT INDICATED... IF NECESSARY.
AT THIS TIME... THESE NEW GRAPHICS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE
THROUGH THE AUTOMATION OF FIELD OPERATIONS AND SERVICES /AFOS/...
UNDER THE GRAPHICS PILS GPH9EE AND GPH9FE. THESE PILS WERE
PREVIOUSLY RESERVED FOR SPECIAL 6-HOURLY QPFS THAT WERE
OCCASIONALLY REQUESTED BY WFOS WHO NEEDED ADDITIONAL MANUAL QPF
GUIDANCE FARTHER OUT INTO THE FUTURE. BECAUSE THESE NEW
PRODUCTS WILL NOW ROUTINELY PROVIDE MANUAL QPFS FARTHER OUT INTO
TIME... THERE WILL LIKELY BE LITTLE... IF ANY... REASON TO ISSUE
SPECIAL QPFS UNDER THESE HEADINGS. HOWEVER... SHOULD THE NEED
ARISE TO SEND OUT A SPECIAL... THE 9EE AND 9FE PILS WILL BE
USED... BUT THE DISCLAIMER SPECIAL WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE
GRAPHICS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS... PLEASE CONTACT:
CHIEF... FORECAST OPERATIONS BRANCH
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER
NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTION
/301/ 763-8000 EXT 7317
NOTE: THIS AND OTHER OFFICE OF METEOROLOGY SERVICE CHANGE
NOTIFICATIONS ARE POSTED AT THE FOLLOWING URL /IN LOWER CASE
LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
END