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NOUS41 KWBC 281920
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PUBLIC INFO. STATEMENT...TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 02-31
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
220 PM EST MON OCT 28 2002
TO: FAMILY SERVICE /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY
MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/
SUBSCRIBERS...NOAAPORT SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...AND
NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: ESTHER ATKINS
CHIEF...INTEGRATED OPERATIONS BRANCH
SUBJECT: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXPERIMENTAL NATIONAL DIGITAL
FORECAST DATABASE...EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 2 2002
AN EXPERIMENTAL VERSION OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/
NATIONAL DIGITAL DATABASE /NDFD/ WILL BE AVAILABLE BEGINNING
DECEMBER 2 2002. THIS EXPERIMENTAL VERSION OF THE NDFD IS BEING
MADE AVAILABLE TO 1) ALLOW HIGH VOLUME USERS TO GET A FEEL FOR
THE SPECIFICS OF THE DATABASE /FTP LOCATION...FORMAT...GEOGRAPHIC
SECTORS...WEATHER FORECAST ELEMENTS...ETC./ AND 2) TO RECEIVE
FEEDBACK FROM THOSE USERS ON POTENTIAL REFINEMENTS TO THE NDFD.
BE CAUTIONED THAT THE NDFD IS PRESENTLY EXPERIMENTAL AND IS NOT
INTENDED FOR REDISTRIBUTION OR OPERATIONAL USE AT THIS TIME.
WHEN THE NDFD BECOMES OPERATIONAL...IT WILL ALLOW THE NWS TO
PROVIDE NEAR-REAL TIME...COORDINATED FORECASTS THAT ARE WIDELY
ACCESSIBLE IN A GRIDDED FORMAT. THIS GRIDDED FORMAT /VERSION 2
GRIB/ CAN BE READILY DECODED FOR THOSE THAT WISH TO CREATE
DERIVED PRODUCTS FROM THE FORECAST PARAMETERS/VALUES CONTAINED
WITHIN THE NDFD.
INITIALLY...THE EXPERIMENTAL NDFD WILL MAKE AVAILABLE DATA FOR
TWO SECTORS WITHIN THE CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES AT A SPATIAL
RESOLUTION OF 5 KILOMETERS. DATA FROM ADDITIONAL SECTORS WILL BE
ADDED TO THE NDFD PERIODICALLY UNTIL THE DATABASE IS FULLY
POPULATED. FILES WILL CONTAIN FORECASTS FOR DAYTIME MAXIMUM
TEMPERATURE...NIGHTTIME MINIMUM TEMPERATURE...PROBABILITY OF
PRECIPITATION /POP12/...SURFACE TEMPERATURE...DEW POINT
TEMPERATURE...SKY COVER...WIND DIRECTION...AND WIND SPEED...OUT
TO 7 DAYS. UPDATES TO THE NDFD WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AT THE TOP
OF EACH HOUR. FORECAST GRIDS FOR THE NEXT DAY 7 WILL BE
INTRODUCED DAILY AT 1800 UTC.
FILES FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC SECTOR WILL CONTAIN FORECAST MOSAICS
OVER THE COUNTY WARNING AREAS OF THE FOLLOWING 6 NWS WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICES IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES...
FFC - ATLANTA GEORGIA
GSP - GREENVILLE/SPARTANBURG SOUTH CAROLINA
JKL - JACKSON KENTUCKY
MRX - KNOXVILLE/TRI CITIES TENNESSEE
RLX - CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
RNK - BLACKSBURG VIRGINIA
FILES FOR THE CENTRAL PLAINS SECTOR WILL CONTAIN FORECAST MOSAICS
OVER THE COUNTY WARNING AREAS OF THE FOLLOWING 7 NWS WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICES IN THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES...
EAX - KANSAS CITY MISSOURI
ICT - WICHITA KANSAS
OAX - OMAHA NEBRASKA
OUN - OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN OKLAHOMA
SGF - SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI
TOP - TOPEKA KANSAS
TSA - TULSA OKLAHOMA
MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE CONTENT OF THESE FILES AND FTP
INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE OBTAINED AT THE URL LISTED BELOW /USE LOWER
CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DATAMGMT/DOC/NDFDINDEX.HTML
A CUSTOMER FEEDBACK SURVEY FORM FOR THE NDFD CAN BE FOUND ON THE
OFFICE OF SERVICES NATIONAL CATALOGUE OF NWS PRODUCTS WEB PAGE...
ACCESSIBLE VIA THE URL ABOVE. UNTIL THE FORM IS MADE INTERACTIVE
...RESPONSES SHOULD BE E-MAILED TO:
NWSPRODUCTS@xxxxxxxx
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE...PLEASE CONTACT:
ESTHER ATKINS
CHIEF - INTEGRATED OPERATIONS BRANCH
NWS HEADQUARTERS
OFFICE OF CLIMATE...WATER...AND WEATHER SERVICES
EMAIL: ESTHER.ATKINS@xxxxxxxx
IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE NDFD DATA...PLEASE
CONTACT:
DAVID RUTH
CHIEF - MESOSCALE PREDICTION BRANCH
NWS HEADQUARTERS
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
EMAIL: DAVID.RUTH@xxxxxxxx
THIS INFORMATION IS ALSO POSTED ON THE NWS DATA MANAGEMENT CHANGE
NOTICES WEB PAGE AT THE URL LISTED BELOW /USE LOWER CASE
LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DATAMGMT/NOTICES.SHTML
THIS AND ALL OTHER NWS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE
POSTED ON /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
END
$$
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