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NOUS41 KWBC 161740
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 04-51
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
138 PM EDT MON AUG 16 2004
TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /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: THOMAS GRAZIANO
CHIEF...HYDROLOGIC SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT: CHANGE TO STANDARDIZED...VTEC-ENCODED FORMAT FOR
HYDROLOGIC PRODUCTS...EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 8 2004
FOLLOWING UP ON THE PUBLIC INFORMATION NOTICE OF MAY 28 2004 AND
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 04-05 DATED AUGUST 2 2004 AND IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VALID
TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/...ON TUESDAY FEBRUARY 08 2005 AT 1200
COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/...ALL WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES
WILL OPERATIONALLY IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS IN A
STANDARDIZED FORMAT WHICH INCORPORATES VTEC AND USES
SEGMENTATION WHEN APPROPRIATE...
FLOOD WATCH /FFA/
FLOOD WARNING FOR FORECAST POINTS /FLW/
FLOOD STATEMENT - FOLLOW UP FLOOD WARNING FOR FORECAST
POINTS /FLS/
AREAL FLOOD WARNING /FLW/
FLOOD STATEMENT FOLLOW UP AREAL FLOOD WARNING /FLS/
FLOOD STATEMENT ADVISORIES /FLS/
THE NEW NATIONALLY CONSISTENT FORMAT WILL MAKE IT MUCH EASIER TO
READ AND OBTAIN INFORMATION FROM FLOOD WATCHES... WARNINGS...
STATEMENTS...AND ADVISORIES. SEGMENTATION WILL ALLOW MULTIPLE
ACTIONS TO BE PROVIDED IN A SINGLE PRODUCT. FOR EXAMPLE...A
SINGLE FLOOD WATCH PRODUCT FOLLOWING UP A PREVIOUSLY ISSUED
FLOOD WATCH COULD HAVE THREE SEGMENTS...ONE WHICH CANCELS THE
WATCH FOR PART OF ITS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AREA...A SECOND WHICH
CONTINUES THE WATCH FOR THE REMAINING PART OF THE ORIGINAL
AREA...AND A THIRD WHICH EXTENDS THE WATCH INTO A NEW AREA.
EXAMPLES OF FLOOD WATCH...FLOOD WARNING FOR FORECAST POINTS...
FLOOD STATEMENT - FOLLOW UP FLOOD WARNING FOR FORECAST
POINTS...AREAL FLOOD WARNING...FLOOD STATEMENT - FOLLOW UP AREAL
FLOOD WARNING...AND FLOOD STATEMENT ADVISORY PRODUCTS IN THE
NATIONALLY CONSISTENT FORMAT MAY BE ACCESSED AT THE FOLLOWING
SITE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/OS/WATER/SEGMENTED
MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON VTEC CAN BE FOUND AT THE VTEC WEB
SITE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/VTEC
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...PLEASE CONTACT:
TIM HELBLE
NWS HYDROLOGIC POLICY PROGRAM LEADER
SILVER SPRING MD
PHONE: 301-713-0006 EXT. 152
E-MAIL: TIMOTHY.HELBLE@xxxxxxxx
THIS AND OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE POSTED ON /USE
LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
$$
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