-------- Original Message --------
787
NOUS41 KWBC 231415
PNSWSH
Service Change Notice 13-5
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
915 AM EST Wed Jan 23 2013
TO: Subscribers:
-Family of Services
-NOAA Weather Wire Service
-Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
-NOAAPORT
Other NWS partners and NWS employees
FROM: Mark Tew
Chief, Marine and Coastal Services Branch
SUBJECT: Changes to the Wind Information in the Remarks
Section of the Vortex Data Message for Tropical
Cyclones in the Atlantic, Eastern Pacific,
Central Pacific and Western Pacific Hurricane Basins
Effective May 15, 2013
To minimize confusion, provide greater precision to users, and
increase consistency with other storm-related items, the changes
detailed below will become effective on May 15, 2013. The changes
affect the Vortex Data Message (VDM) reported from Department of
Defense (DOD) and NOAA aircraft conducting reconnaissance
missions for tropical cyclones. There are no changes to WMO
Headers or AWIPS IDs for the VDMs.
Currently, the Remarks Section (Data Item P) of the VDM
identifies the location(s) of maximum flight level winds by the
relative quadrant of the storm, followed by the word QUAD.
Old format:
MAX FLT LVL WIND 77 KT N QUAD 01:23:40Z
MAX OUTBOUND FLT LVL WIND 77 KT N QUAD 01:23:40Z
MAX OUTBOUND AND MAX FLT LVL WIND 77 KT N QUAD 01:34:40Z
Beginning on May 15, 2013, the word QUAD will be removed from the
Remarks Section and replaced with the observed bearing (in
degrees) and range (in nautical miles), relative to the center
fix of the overall tropical cyclone maximum flight level winds.
New format:
MAX FLT LVL WIND 77 KT 357/12 01:23:40Z
MAX OUTBOUND FLT LVL WIND 77 KT 357/12 01:23:40Z
MAX OUTBOUND AND MAX FLT LVL WIND 77 KT 357/12 01:23:40Z
In addition, the reference to "the latest pass through any
portion of the storm" in the National Hurricane Operations Plan
(NHOP), Table 5-2, Data Item P, will be removed. For 2013, the
wording will be changed in the NHOP to refer to the latest pass
through any octant of the storm, i.e., 337.5-22.5 degrees, 22.5-
67.5 degrees, etc.
High-Density Observation Bulletins (HDOB) message formats are
provided in the National Hurricane Operations Plan (NHOP),
Chapter 5. The 2012 NHOP, along with the 2012 HDOB Message
Format, is online at:
http://www.ofcm.gov
The 2013 NHOP will be posted on line by June 1, 2013, along with
the new HDOB message format for 2013 in Table 5-2. A new example
VDM will be provided in Figure 5-4.
If you have questions regarding this notice, please contact:
John F. Kuhn
National Weather Service
Marine and Coastal Services Branch
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
Telephone: 301-713-1677 x121
email: john.f.kuhn@xxxxxxxx
Service Change Notices are online at:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm
$$