699
NOUS41 KWBC 161335
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 01-25
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
940 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2001
TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ CUSTOMERS...OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: JAMES E. LEE
CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION AND TESTING OF THE WATCH COUNTY
NOTIFICATION MESSAGE FROM JUNE 26 TO AUGUST 24 2001 AT
THE BINGHAMTON NY AND AMARILLO TX FORECAST OFFICES
EFFECTIVE TUESDAY JUNE 26 2001 AT 8 A.M. LOCAL TIME...
/1200 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME IN THE EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME
ZONE...1300 UTC IN THE CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME ZONE/... THE WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICES IN BINGHAMTON NEW YORK AND AMARILLO TEXAS WILL
BEGIN SENDING TEST WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION MESSAGES /WCN..SEE
TABLE ONE/. WCN MESSAGES WILL INDICATE THE STATUS INFORMATION
/I.E. WHICH COUNTIES ARE IN OR ARE BEING CLEARED FROM/ OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WATCHES IN EACH OFFICE/S AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY. THIS TEST WILL END AT 8 A.M. LOCAL TIME FRIDAY
AUGUST 24 2001.
TABLE 1: TEST WATCH MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED UNDER THE FOLLOWING
COMMUNICATION IDENTIFIERS:
NWS OFFICE WMO ID AWIPS ID PIL ID
BINGHAMTON NY WWUS61 KBGM WCNBGM ALBWCNBGM
AMARILLO TX WWUS64 KAMA WCNAMA LBBWCNAMA
/END OF TABLE 1/
THE TEST WILL ALLOW THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TO ENSURE THAT
THE PROGRAMS WHICH CREATE THE WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION RUN
CORRECTLY AND ALSO ALLOW EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS TO
DETERMINE WAYS TO UTILIZE THE WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION MESSAGES
IN THEIR DISSEMINATION AND NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS. EXISTING
OPERATIONAL WATCH MESSAGES /I.E. SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS/ FROM
EACH OFFICE WILL CONTINUE DURING THIS TEST PERIOD. THE TEST
WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION MESSAGES WILL NOT BE PROVIDED IF BACKUP
SUPPORT FROM ANOTHER NWS OFFICE IS REQUIRED DURING THIS TEST
PERIOD.
THE WCN IS DESIGNED TO STREAMLINE WATCH INFORMATION FROM WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICES...SO IT WILL BE ISSUED TO CONVEY THE INITIAL
ISSUANCE OF A CONVECTIVE WATCH...WHEN COUNTIES ARE BEING CLEARED
FROM THE WATCH OR WHEN WATCHES ARE BEING CANCELED OR REPLACED BY
NEW WATCHES.
THE WCN IS A SEGMENTED PRODUCT...WITH SEPARATE SEGMENTS FOR EACH
ACTION TAKEN DURING A WATCH. SEGMENTS SHOWING COUNTIES IN A
WATCH WILL BE SEPARATE FROM SEGMENTS DESCRIBING WHERE COUNTIES
ARE BEING CLEARED FROM A WATCH. EACH SEGMENT WILL HAVE A
CORRESPONDING VALID TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/ STRING DESCRIBING THE
ACTIONS TAKEN IN THAT SEGMENT.
FOR A SUITE OF EXAMPLES SHOWING THE WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION
MESSAGES FOR EACH CONVECTIVE WATCH SITUATION...PLEASE SEE THE
INTERNET SITE /USE LOWER CASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/WCN/WCNEX.PDF
FOR A DESCRIPTION OF VTEC AND ITS ELEMENTS...SEVERAL PRODUCT
EXAMPLES...AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS...PLEASE SEE THE INTERNET
SITE /USE LOWER CASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/VTEC/VTEC.PDF
CUSTOMERS WHO WISH TO RECEIVE THE WCN MESSAGES DURING THIS TEST
PERIOD SHOULD ADD ONE OR BOTH OF THE COMMUNICATION IDENTIFIERS IN
LISTED IN TABLE ONE TO YOUR APPROPRIATE DATABASES. FURTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED ONCE A DECISION IS MADE WHETHER OR
NOT TO MAKE THE WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION MESSAGES OPERATIONAL.
EXAMPLE:
_________________________________________________________________
WWUS61 KBGM 261830
WCNBGM
WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION FOR WATCH #1002
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
230 PM EDT SUN 26 MAY 1998
NYC015-097-099-270100-
/CAN.KBGM.TO.A.1002.000000-270100/
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BINGHAMTON HAS
CLEARED A PORTION OF TORNADO WATCH #1002.
COUNTIES CLEARED FROM THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDE:
IN NEW YORK:
SENECA SCHUYLER CHEMUNG
$$
NYC011-107-109-270100-
/CON.KBGM.TO.A.1002.000000-270100/
TORNADO WATCH #1002 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 900 PM EDT SUNDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
IN NEW YORK:
CAYUGA TOMPKINS TIOGA
$$
/END OF EXAMPLE/
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS... PLEASE CONTACT ONE OF
THE FOLLOWING METEOROLOGISTS IN CHARGE OR WARNING COORDINATION
METEOROLOGISTS:
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE: WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST:
PETER AHNERT DAVID NICOSIA
BINGHAMTON NY BINGHAMTON NY
607-770-9531 EXT.222 607-770-9531 EXT.223
PETER.AHNERT@xxxxxxxx DAVID.NICOSIA@xxxxxxxx
JOSE GARCIA STEVE DRILLETTE
AMARILLO TX AMARILLO TX
(806) 335-1121 (806) 335-1121
JOSE.GARCIA@xxxxxxxx STEVE.DRILLETTE@xxxxxxxx
...NOTE TO INTERNET USERS...
THIS AND ALL OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE POSTED ON THE
INTERNET AT /USE LOWER CASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
END
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