550
NOUS41 KWBC 162129
PNSWSH
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 04-12
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
430 PM EST TUE MAR 16 2004
TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS
WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS OF
AVIATION...CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA AND FORECASTS...NWS
EMPLOYEES
FROM: RAINER DOMBROWSKY
CHIEF...OBSERVING SERVICES DIVISION
SUBJECT: AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM /ASOS/ PRECIPITATION
ACCUMULATION SENSOR REPLACEMENT...BEGINNING APRIL 2004
THE FOLLOWING CHANGES HAVE NO DIRECT IMPACT ON NOAA WEATHER WIRE
SERVICE SUBSCRIBERS.
THE ASOS PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WILL SOON BEGIN REPORTING
DATA FROM A NEW PRECIPITATION GAUGE...THE ALL WEATHER
PRECIPITATION ACCUMULATION GAUGE /AWPAG/.
THE PRESENT GAUGE...A HEATED TIPPING BUCKET /HTB/ GAUGE IS PRONE
TO UNDER-REPORTING FROZEN AND FREEZING PRECIPITATION. THE AWPAG
IS A HEATED WEIGHING GAUGE AND IS MORE ACCURATE IN MEASURING AND
REPORTING FREEZING AND FROZEN PRECIPITATION.
THE AWPAG HAS FIELD TESTED THROUGHOUT THE PAST WINTER. BEGINNING
IN APRIL 2004...THE NWS WILL BEGIN TO INSTALL THE AWPAG AT
332 LOCATIONS. INSTALLATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY
OCTOBER OF 2004. NWS OFFICES WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL NOTICES
THROUGH LOCAL PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS AS EACH LOCATION
BECOME OPERATIONAL.
MORE DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION INFORMATION...INCLUDING AWPAG
LOCATIONS...IS AVAILABLE ON THE SURFACE OBSERVATION PROGRAM WEB
PAGE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS EXCEPT S IN SURFACE/:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ops2/Surface/implementation.htm
THEN CLICK ON AWPAG IMPLEMENTATION SITES
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CHANGE...PLEASE CONTACT ONE
OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AT NWS HEADQUARTERS IN SILVER SPRING
MARYLAND:
STEVEN PRITCHETT
SURFACE OBSERVATIONS PROGRAM MANAGER
PHONE: 301-713-1792 X 181
E-MAIL: STEVEN.PRITCHETT@xxxxxxxx
OR
DAVID MANNARANO
SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER
PHONE: 301-713-2093 X 103
E-MAIL: DAVID.MANNARANO@xxxxxxxx
OR
RICHARD AHLBERG
ASOS PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM MANAGER
PHONE: 301-713-1975 X 160
E-MAIL: RICHARD.AHLBERG@xxxxxxxx
THIS AND OTHER NWS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE
ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
$$
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