-------- Original Message --------
581
NOUS41 KWBC 252001
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 09-16
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
300 PM WED FEB 25 2009
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
- FAMILY OF SERVICES
- NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
- EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
- OTHER NWS PARTNERS AND USERS
- NWS EMPLOYEES
- USERS OF TSUNAMI PRODUCTS
FROM: THERESE Z. PIERCE
CHIEF...MARINE AND COASTAL WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT: OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VALID TIME EVENT
CODE /VTEC/ IN NWS TSUNAMI /TSU/ PRODUCTS
EFFECTIVE TUESDAY JUNE 30 2009
EFFECTIVE TUESDAY JUNE 30 2009 AT 1900 UNIVERSAL
COORDINATED TIME /UTC/...9 AM HAWAII STANDARD TIME...
11 AM ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME... 3 PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME
ON...NWS WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER /WC/ATWC/
IN PALMER ALASKA /AK/ AND NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING
CENTER /PTWC/ IN EWA BEACH HAWAII /HI/ WILL OPERATIONALLY
IMPLEMENT THE VALID TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/ FOR SEVERAL
DOMESTIC TSUNAMI /TSU/ PRODUCTS. IF JUNE 30 2009 IS
DECLARED A NATIONAL CRITICAL WEATHER DAY...IMPLEMENTATION
WILL OCCUR ON THE NEXT WEEKDAY NOT DECLARED A CRITICAL
WEATHER DAY.
VTEC ALWAYS IS USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH...AND PROVIDES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION TO...THE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC
CODE /UGC/ TO FURTHER AID IN THE AUTOMATED DELIVERY OF NWS
TEXT PRODUCTS TO USERS. THE UGC CODE DESCRIBES THE AFFECTED
GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND INCLUDES A PRODUCT EXPIRATION TIME. THE
VTEC CODE PROVIDES FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE EVENT SUCH AS
THE HAZARD... ITS STATUS...EVENT TRACKING NUMBER... AND
STARTING/ENDING TIMES OF THE HAZARD. THE VTEC LINE OCCURS
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE UGC LINE.
TABLE 1 DESCRIBES THE NWS TSUNAMI /TSU/ PRODUCTS THAT WILL
CONTAIN THE VTEC LINE. UGC AND VTEC CODES ARE PROVIDED FOR
UNITED STATES AND TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES ONLY.
THE WEPA41 AND WEXX20 TSUNAMI /TSU/ PRODUCTS INCLUDE CANADA
ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NO ASSOCIATED UGC CODES.
TABLE 2 DESCRIBES THE VTEC EVENT CODES THAT WILL BE USED IN
THE PRODUCTS LISTED IN TABLE 1.
TABLE 1. NWS TSUNAMI /TSU/ PRODUCTS THAT WILL CONTAIN THE
VTEC LINE EFFECTIVE JUNE 30 2009.
PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID ISSUING CENTER
TSUNAMI MESSAGE WEHW40 PHEB TSUHWX PTWC
TSUNAMI MESSAGE WEPA41 PAAQ TSUWCA WC/ATWC
TSUNAMI MESSAGE WEXX20 PAAQ TSUAT1 WC/ATWC
TABLE 2. VTEC EVENT CODES THAT WILL BE USED IN THE
PRODUCTS LISTED IN TABLE 1.
PHENOMENA NAME/CODE EVENT NAME/CODE
TSUNAMI/TS TSUNAMI WATCH/TS.A
TSUNAMI/TS TSUNAMI WARNING/TS.W
TSUNAMI/TS TSUNAMI ADVISORY/TS.Y
VTEC IS DESCRIBED IN FURTHER DETAIL IN NWS INSTRUCTION
10-1703...ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DIRECTIVES/SYM/PD01017003CURR.PDF
MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON VTEC CAN BE FOUND AT THE
VTEC WEB SITE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/VTEC
VTEC IN TSUNAMI PRODUCTS WILL FOLLOW THE RULES IN THE
DOCUMENTS MENTIONED ABOVE EXCEPT FOR THE EVENT TRACKING
NUMBER /ETN/ ELEMENT. ETNS WILL INCREMENT GLOBALLY AT EACH
CENTER BY TSUNAMI EVENT /WHETHER WARNING... WATCH... OR
ADVISORY/... WITH THE ETNS FOR ANY LEVEL OF HAZARD BEING
THE SAME FOR THAT EVENT. THE TWO TSUNAMI WARNING CENTERS
WILL HAVE SEPARATE ETNS.
VTEC EXAMPLES IN TSUNAMI PRODUCTS ARE ONLINE AT
/USE LOWERCASE/:
WC/ATWC PRODUCTS
HTTP://WCATWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV/EXAMPLES
PTWC PRODUCTS -
HTTP://WWW.PRH.NOAA.GOV/PTWC/ABOUT_MESSAGES.PHP?REGION=1
CUSTOMERS RECEIVING THE PRODUCTS IN TABLE 1 SHOULD
REPROGRAM THEIR SOFTWARE TO EFFECTIVELY USE NEW VTEC CODES
LISTED IN TABLE 2.
ANY REQUIRED OPERATIONAL TESTING OF VTEC WILL TAKE PLACE
AFTER JUNE 30 2009 AND WILL BE ANNOUNCED BEFORE TESTING.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...PLEASE CONTACT:
PAUL WHITMORE
DIRECTOR WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER
PALMER ALASKA
PHONE: 907-745-4212
PAUL.WHITMORE@xxxxxxxx
CHARLES MCCREERY
DIRECTOR PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER
EWA BEACH HAWAII
PHONE: 808-792-4301
CHARLES.MCCREERY@xxxxxxxx
RICHARD MAY
MARINE METEOROLOGIST
SILVER SPRING MARYLAND
PHONE: 301-713-1677 X 127
RICHARD.MAY@xxxxxxxx
NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE
LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIF/HTM
$$