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NOUS41 KWBC 221424
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...PART 1 OF 2
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1030 AM EDT TUE SEP 22 1998
TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ EMPLOYEES...FAMILY OF
SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
/NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS
FROM THERESE S. PIERCE...CHIEF...INTEGRATED
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
SUBJECT PART 1 OF 2 - IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW WINTER WEATHER
SEVERITY INDEX /WWSI/ TO IDENTIFY THE FORECAST IMPACT
OF WINTER WEATHER EVENTS IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND THE
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...EFFECTIVE NOV 25 1998
EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 25 1998 AT 400 AM MST /1100 UTC/...THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE /NWSFO/ IN CHEYENNE
WYOMING WILL IMPLEMENT A TEST OF A NEWLY DEVELOPED WINTER WEATHER
SEVERITY INDEX /WWSI/ TO CONVEY THE FORECAST IMPACT OF WINTER
WEATHER ELEMENTS. THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
APRIL 30 1999. IN MAY 1999...BASED UPON SURVEY RESULTS RECEIVED
FROM NWS CUSTOMERS DURING THE TEST PERIOD...A DECISION WILL BE
MADE REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THIS PROGRAM. POTENTIAL RESULTS OF
THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT INCLUDE:
* FURTHER REFINEMENT OF THE INDEX AND A SECOND SEASON OF
TESTING IN 1999-2000
* EXPANSION OF THE CONCEPT TO OTHER NWS OFFICES AND
GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS IN 1999-2000
* DISCONTINUANCE OF THE WWSI PROGRAM
UNDER THIS NEW SYSTEM...WINTER STORM WATCHES WILL STILL BE ISSUED
AS IN THE PAST. AS CERTAINTY OF THE DEVELOPING STORM
INCREASES...FORECASTERS WILL ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR
WX1 THROUGH WX5 WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS INSTEAD OF THE PAST
PRACTICE OF ISSUING VARIOUS ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS. THE
BULLETIN WOULD DESCRIBE THE OVERALL FORECAST WEATHER CONDITIONS
FOR THE STORM AREA AND IDENTIFY THE LOCATIONS EXPECTED TO BE
IMPACTED BY EACH CATEGORY OF WINTER WEATHER SEVERITY...USING THE
GUIDELINES LISTED IN TABLE 1 OF PART 2 OF THIS TWO-PART
NOTIFICATION. ADDITIONALLY...THE WWSI IMPACT CATEGORY /WX1
THROUGH WX5/ BEING FORECAST WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE BODY OF THE
SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND NEBRASKA PANHANDLE ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT.
ALL PRODUCTS ISSUED UNDER THIS NEW SYSTEM WILL ADHERE TO THE
STANDARD FORMATS SCHEDULED TO BE IN PLACE AT THE TIME OF THEIR
ISSUANCE /I.E. SEGMENTED FORMAT FOR WINTER STORM PRODUCTS/.
THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT TEST WILL NOT REQUIRE ANY PRODUCT
IDENTIFIER /HEADER CHANGES OR UNIVERSAL GENERIC CODE /UGC/
CHANGES FOR NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ CUSTOMERS...FAMILY
OF SERVICES /FOS/ CUSTOMERS...OR OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS THAT ALREADY
RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS-
PRODUCT NAME NWWS ID WMO HEADING
SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND CYSZFPCYS FPUS55 KCYS
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE
ZONE FORECAST
WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE CYSWSWCYS WWUS46 KCYS /BEFORE NOV. 30/
WWUS45 KCYS /AFTERWARD/
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF THIS TEST
COINCIDES WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF THE NEW NWWS ID FOR THE
SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND NEBRASKA PANHANDLE ZONES /CYSZFPCYS/.
THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT TEST WILL ONLY AFFECT THE ZONE FORECAST
AREAS INCLUDED IN TABLE 2 OF PART 2 OF THIS TWO-PART
NOTIFICATION.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT YOU
MAY CONTACT:
MIKE LOONEY WILLIAM T. PARKER
CHIEF...METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE
NWS CENTRAL REGION HEADQUARTERS NWS FORECAST OFFICE CHEYENNE WY
601 E 12TH STREET 1301 AIRPORT PARKWAY
KANSAS CITY MISSOURI 64106 CHEYENNE WYOMING 82001
816-426-3239 EXT 701 307-772-2468 EXT 642
MIKE.LOONEY@xxxxxxxx WILLIAM.PARKER@xxxxxxxx
JOE SULLIVAN
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NWS FORECAST OFFICE CHEYENNE WY
1301 AIRPORT PARKWAY
CHEYENNE WYOMING 82001
307-772-2468 EXT 726
JOSEPH.SULLIVAN@xxxxxxxx
...NOTE TO INTERNET USERS...
THIS AND ALL OTHER PENDING NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE NWS OFFICE OF METEOROLOGY/S HOME PAGE IN THE
NOTIFICATION SECTION. THE ADDRESS OF THE NOTIFICATION SECTION
/IN SMALL CASE LETTERS/ IS
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
END OF PART 1 OF 2