-------- Original Message --------
297
NOUS41 KWBC 211527
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 06-46
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1027 AM EST THU DEC 21 2006
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...NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: ELI JACKS
FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH CHIEF
SUBJECT: UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/ CHANGE FOR AVALANCHE
WATCHES/WARNINGS IN CERTAIN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY CERTAIN NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES /WFO/
IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF NWS CENTRAL...SOUTHERN...AND WESTERN
REGIONS MAY BEGIN USING THE ZONE /Z/ FORM OF THE UNIVERSAL
GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/ INSTEAD OF THE COUNTY /C/ FORM OF THE UGC
FOR AVALANCHE WATCH /AVA/ AND AVALANCHE WARNING /AVW/ PRODUCTS.
THE UGC CODE IS EMBEDDED WITHIN THE VALID TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/
OF THESE PRODUCTS.
AFFECTED WFOS WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THEIR USERS OF AVA/AVW
PRODUCTS TO ENSURE USERS ARE AWARE OF THIS CHANGE IF IT AFFECTS
AVA/AVW PRODUCTS THEY ISSUE. USERS UNSURE WHETHER THIS CHANGE
AFFECTS AVA/AVW PRODUCTS THEY USE SHOULD CONTACT THE ISSUING WFO
FOR GUIDANCE.
RECENT EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT USING THE COUNTY /C/ FORM OF
THE UGC FOR AVA/AVW PRODUCTS IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OVERSTATES THE
INTENDED WATCH/WARNING AREA. IN ADDITION USING THE ZONE /Z/ FORM
OF THE UGC FOR AVA/AVW PRODUCTS MORE CLOSELY ALIGNS THESE
PRODUCTS WITH OTHER WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS THAT USE THE ZONE
/Z/ FORM OF THE UGC.
TABLE 1 BELOW DETAILS THE GENERIC AWIPS ID AND WMO HEADINGS OF
AVA/AVW PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE.
TABLE 1. AVA/AVW AWIPS ID AND WMO HEADINGS
PRODUCT AWIPS ID WMO HEADING
AVALANCHE WATCH AVAXXX WOUSII KYYY
AVALANCHE WARNING AVWXXX WOUSII KYYY
NOTE: XXX IS THE THREE-LETTER WFO IDENTIFIER AND YYY IS THE
AWIPS NODE.
AGAIN ...AFFECTED WFOS WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THEIR USERS OF
AVA/AVW PRODUCTS TO ENSURE USERS ARE AWARE OF THIS CHANGE IF IT
AFFECTS AVA/AVW PRODUCTS THEY ISSUE. USERS UNSURE WHETHER THIS
CHANGE AFFECTS AVA/AVW PRODUCTS THEY USE SHOULD CONTACT THE
ISSUING WFO FOR GUIDANCE.
ALTHOUGH THIS NOTIFICATION IS LESS THAN THE REQUIRED 120 DAYS AS
SPECIFIED BY NWSI 10-1805... THE NWS BELIEVES IMMEDIATE
IMPLEMENTATION IS WARRANTED BECAUSE AVALANCHE DANGER ALREADY
EXISTS FOR WFOS WITH WARNING RESPONSIBILITY FOR MOUNTAINOUS
AREAS.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE CHANGES... PLEASE CONTACT:
PAUL STOKOLS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
SILVER SPRING MD 20910
PHONE: 301-713-1867
EMAIL: PAUL.STOKOLS@xxxxxxxx
THIS AND OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE POSTED AT
/USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
$$
--
Linda Miller - lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Community Services, Unidata
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000
303-497-8646 fax: 303-497-8690
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