-------- Original Message --------
251
NOUS41 KWBC 121352
PNSWSH
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 09-24
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
950 AM EDT WED AUG 12 2009
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-FAMILY OF SERVICES
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
-NOAAPORT
OTHER NWS PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: ELI JACKS
CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT: HAZARDS GRID IN THE NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST
DATABASE /NDFD/ TRANSITIONS TO OPERATIONAL STATUS
EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 15 2009
EFFECTIVE TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15 2009 AT 1400 COORDINATED
UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/...THE NDFD HAZARDS GRID WILL TRANSITION
FROM EXPERIMENTAL TO OPERATIONAL STATUS IN THE CONTERMINOUS
UNITED STATES /CONUS/...PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN
ISLANDS...HAWAII... AND GUAM SECTORS...INCLUDING ALL 16 CONUS
SUBSECTORS.
THE HAZARDS GRID IN THE ALASKA SECTOR WILL REMAIN IN
EXPERIMENTAL STATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
THE NWS BEGAN ISSUING THE HAZARDS GRID EXPERIMENTALLY ON JULY 08
2008. THE HAZARDS GRID CONTAINS ALL THE ACTIVE LONG DURATION
WATCH...WARNING...AND ADVISORY HAZARDS AVAILABLE FROM THE NDFD
AT A FIVE KILOMETER SPATIAL RESOLUTION. THE HAZARDS GRID IS
ISSUED FOR ONE HOUR PERIODS OUT TO 72 HOURS THEN AT SIX HOUR
PERIODS OUT TO 120 HOURS.
A DETAILED LISTING OF ALL HAZARDS INCLUDED IN THE HAZARDS GRID
IS AVAILABLE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NDFD/HAZARDS-GRID-WWA.HTM
THE HAZARDS GRID DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY SHORT FUSE HAZARDS...
INCLUDING BUT NOT NECESSARILY LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:
-TORNADO WARNING
-SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
-EXTREME WIND WARNING
-FLASH FLOOD WARNING
-SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
-AREAL FLOOD WARNING
-FLOOD WATCH FOR FORECAST POINTS
-FLOOD WARNING FOR FORECAST POINTS
MORE DETAILS REGARDING THE HAZARDS GRID WILL BE PROVIDED IN A
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT /PDD/ WHICH WILL BE ADDED TO THE
ONLINE CATALOG OF OFFICIAL NWS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BEFORE THE
IMPLEMENTATION DATE. PDDS ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://PRODUCTS.WEATHER.GOV/VIEWLIST.PHP
THE HAZARDS GRID WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM THE NDFD IN THREE OF THE
FOUR STANDARD METHODS:
- GRIDDED BINARY 2 /GRIB2/ FILES VIA HYPERTEXT TRANSFER
PROTOCOL /HTTP/ AND FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL /FTP/
- EXTENSIBLE MARKUP LANGUAGE /XML/ VIA SIMPLE OBJECT ACCESS
PROTOCOL /SOAP/
- GRAPHICS VIA WEB BROWSER
THE HAZARDS GRID WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE IN GEOGRAPHY MARKUP
LANGUAGE /GML/ THROUGH THE NDFD WEB FEATURE SERVICE /WFS/.
THIS CHANGE PRIMARILY AFFECTS USERS WHO PULL NDFD ELEMENTS IN
THE GRIB2 FORMAT FROM THE NWS FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL /FTP/
SERVER...EITHER VIA THE INTERNET OR THE FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/
SERVER ACCESS SERVICE...AND USERS WHO PULL HTML FILES FROM THE
NWS HYPERTEXT TRANSFER PROTOCOL /HTTP/ SERVER. THOSE USERS WILL
NEED TO PULL THESE ELEMENTS FOR THE DOMAINS OF INTEREST FROM A
DIFFERENT UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATOR /URL/ AND MAY NEED TO UPDATE
PROCEDURES AND SCRIPTS TO ENSURE CONTINUED RECEIPT OF THE DATA.
DETAILS REGARDING THIS IMPLEMENTATION...INCLUDING SPECIFIC
INFORMATION FOR HTTP AND FTP USERS...ARE ONLINE AT
/USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NDFD/HAZARDS_NDFD_OPNL_IMPLEM.HTM
FOR USERS WHO USE THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION /WMO/
SUPER HEADINGS TO ACCESS NDFD ELEMENTS...THE LIST OF SUPER
HEADINGS FOR THE HAZARDS GRID HAS NOT CHANGED. THE LIST IS
ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NDFD/RESOURCES/HAZARD_WMO_HDG_NDFD.PDF
USERS OF THE NDFD IN XML VIA SIMPLE OBJECT ACCESS PROTOCOL
/SOAP/ ARE NOT DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THIS IMPLEMENTATION. THOSE
USERS CAN USE THE SAME METHODS THEY CURRENTLY USE TO ACQUIRE
THESE ELEMENTS FOR THE DOMAINS OF INTEREST. FOR XML USERS THERE
IS NO DISTINCTION IN THE DATA ITSELF BETWEEN EXPERIMENTAL AND
OPERATIONAL ELEMENTS.
USERS WHO VIEW THE ONLINE NDFD GRAPHICS VIA WEB BROWSER ARE NOT
DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THIS IMPLEMENTATION EITHER. NDFD HAZARDS
GRAPHICS WILL STILL BE LABELED EXPERIMENTAL FOR THOSE IMAGES
COVERING ALASKA.
SUPPLEMENTAL NDFD HAZARD IMAGES WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE AT THREE
HOURLY RESOLUTION OUT TO 72 HOURS AND SIX HOURLY RESOLUTION OUT
TO 120 HOURS. THIS REDUCED TEMPORAL RESOLUTION FOR THE ONLINE
GRAPHICS WILL CONTINUE WHILE THE NWS STUDIES THE IMPACT OF
INCREASED TEMPORAL RESOLUTION ON WEB FARM PERFORMANCE.
GENERAL INFORMATION ON ACCESSING AND USING NDFD ELEMENTS IS
ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://NDFD.WEATHER.GOV/TECHNICAL.HTM
IF SEPTEMBER 15 2009 IS A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY THIS
IMPLEMENTATION MAY BE POSTPONED. USERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THAT
DECISION VIA A TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE /TIN/ AS FAR IN
ADVANCE AS POSSIBLE.
FOR GENERAL QUESTIONS REGARDING NDFD DATA...PLEASE EMAIL:
NWS.NDFD@xxxxxxxx
FOR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING NDFD DATA...PLEASE CONTACT:
DAVID RUTH
CHIEF...MESOSCALE PREDICTION BRANCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
SILVER SPRING MARYLAND 20910
DAVID.RUTH@xxxxxxxx
FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE...PLEASE CONTACT:
KEVIN SCHARFENBERG
SEVERE STORMS SERVICES COORDINATOR
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE OF CLIMATE WATER AND WEATHER SERVICES
120 DAVID L. BOREN BLVD. SUITE 2300
NORMAN OKLAHOMA 73072
KEVIN.SCHARFENBERG@xxxxxxxx
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE
NDFD ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NDFD/TINS.HTM
NATIONAL TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT
/USE LOWER CASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIF.HTM
$$
NNNN