-------- Original Message --------
018
NOUS41 KWBC 301240
PNSWSH
Service Change Notice 12-14
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
840 AM EDT Fri Mar 30 2012
To: Subscribers:
-Family of Services
-NOAA Weather Wire Service
-Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
-NOAAPORT
Other NWS partners and NWS employees
From: Russell Schneider
Director, Storm Prediction Center
Subject: Standardized Format in Free Text Portion of Storm
Prediction Center (SPC) Mesoscale Discussion (CONUS
Only) Effective May 1, 2012
Effective Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at approximately 1500 Coordinated
Universal Time (UTC), the NWS will begin using a new standardized
format in the free text portion of the SPC Mesoscale Discussion
(MD), CONUS only. This will not involve changes to World
Meteorological Organization Headers or Advanced Weather
Interactive Processing System IDs.
The first three sections of the body of the SPC MD ("AREAS
AFFECTED...", "CONCERNING..." and "VALID") will remain the same.
For Severe Potential MDs, a new fourth section will begin with
"PROBABILITY OF WATCH ISSUANCE..." followed by a permitted value
of 5, 20, 40, 60, 80, or 95 and the word "PERCENT". A fifth
section will begin with "SUMMARY..." and contain a concise
headline concerning the ongoing/expected severe threat. The final
section will begin with "DISCUSSION..." and contain the main body
of text.
For all other MDs, the fourth section will begin with
"SUMMARY..." and contain a concise headline concerning the
ongoing/expected severe threat. The final section will begin with
"DISCUSSION..." and contain the main body of text.
A more detailed description and examples of the standardized
format of the SPC Mesoscale Discussion can be found at:
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/md_changes_scn.html
If you have any questions about the technical content or
generation of these products, please contact:
Steven Weiss
NCEP Storm Prediction Center
steven.j.weiss@xxxxxxxx
or
John Ferree
Office of Climate Water and Weather Services
john.t.ferree@xxxxxxxx
National Service Change Notices are online at:
http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm
$$