-------- Original Message --------
342
NOUS41 KWBC 151100
PNSWSH
Service Change Notice 11-15
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington, DC
700 AM EDT Tue Mar 15 2011
To: Subscribers:
-Family of Services
-NOAA Weather Wire Service
-Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
-NOAAPort
Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees
From: Therese Z. Pierce
Chief, Marine and Coastal Services Branch
Subject: Test of Operational Rip Current Valid Time Event Code
(VTEC) in Coastal Hazard Message at Select Weather
Forecast Offices (WFOs) Effective May 12, 2011
Effective Thursday May 12, 2011, at 1200 Coordinated Universal
Time (UTC) 10 additional WFOs will use a new VTEC event code for
rip currents in their Coastal Hazard Messages (CFW).
These WFOs will begin using the new VTEC event code RP.S within
the CFW, instead of CF.S or LS.S, when specifically targeting an
increased Rip Current Risk. The RP.S will be operational (i.e.,
the VTEC line will carry the (O) identifier). The Rip Current
information issued by these offices will be highlighted in
turquoise on the NWS Watch, Warning Advisory map at
http://www.weather.gov
Table 1: Communication identifiers for the CFWs issued by the
10 WFOs which will use the new VTEC for Rip Currents (RP.S)
effective May 12, 2011
Issuing WFO WMO Header AWIPS Id
Melbourne, FL WHUS42 KMLB CFWMLB
Miami, FL WHUS42 KMFL CFWMFL
Brownsville, TX WHUS44 KBRO CFWBRO
Corpus Christi, TX WHUS44 KCRP CFWCRP
Mobile, AL WHUS44 KMOB CFWMOB
Wakefield, VA WHUS41 KAKQ CFWAKQ
Philadelphia, PA WHUS41 KPHI CFWPHI
New York, NY WHUS41 KOKX CFWOKX
Boston, MA WHUS41 KBOX CFWBOX
Cleveland, OH WHUS41 KCLE CFWCLE
Customers must make the appropriate changes to their systems in
order to process the new VTEC RP.S.
Table 2: Communication identifiers for the CFWs issued by the
seven WFOs which began using the VTEC RP.S in 2010
Issuing WFO WMO Header AWIPS Id
Charleston, SC WHUS42 KCHS CFWCHS
Newport/Morehead City, NC WHUS42 KMHX CFWMHX
Wilmington, NC WHUS42 KILM CFWILM
Jacksonville, FL WHUS42 KJAX CFWJAX
Tallahassee, FL WHUS42 KTAE CFWTAE
Chicago, IL WHUS43 KLOT CFWLOT
Northern Indiana IN WHUS43 KIWX CFWIWX
The remainder of NWS coastal and Great Lakes offices will
continue using the VTEC event codes CF.S or LS.S in their
Coastal/Lakeshore Flood Statements (CFW) when a Rip Current
threat exists. No actions are necessary to continue processing
the CF.S and LS.S VTEC event codes.
This test of the new VTEC event code (RP.S) within the CFW by
the WFOs specified in Table 1 will continue until further
notice, unless significant negative feedback is received.
Users are encouraged to provide feedback by using the brief
survey and comment form on the Internet at:
http://www.weather.gov/survey/report.php?type=nws&code=rcvtecchm
General background information on VTEC can be found online at:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/vtec
If you have questions or comments please contact:
David Soroka
National Marine Program Leader
1325 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-713-1677 Ext. 111
David.Soroka@xxxxxxxx
NWS Service Change Notices are online at:
http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm
$$
NNNN