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Decoding the Valid Time Event Coding
Valid Time Event Coding (VTEC) is a new code string which will be used in many NWS event-driven text products (and in routine marine forecasts) to describe the parameters of Watch/Warning/Advisory (W/W/A) events explicitly. This new code form was requested by NWS partners and customers with whom the development, testing, and implementation have been coordinated.
Customers say they desire VTEC code because it contains all necessary W/W/A information in an easy-to-decode, uniform format. This NWS-wide consistency allows our partners to develop dissemination software to relay the information contained in the VTEC code. Therefore, VTEC will automate the delivery of NWS W/W/A information to our customers and partners, allowing them to relay it more quickly to their customers (i.e., the public).
P-VTEC String:
/k.aaa.cccc.pp.s.####.yymmddThhnnZB-yymmddThhnnZE/
See if you can decode this line:
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.A.0002.051013T1424Z-051013T1700Z/
or this one:
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.A.0002.000000T0000Z-051013T1700Z/
P-VTEC
String
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Event Group
k
- Product Class (O, T, E, X)
aaa -
Action (NEW, CON, EXT, EXA, EXB,
UPG, CAN, EXP, COR, ROU)
cccc -
Office ID
pp
- Phenomena (e.g., FL, FF - see table)
s -
Significance (W, A, Y, S)
#### -
Event Tracking Number (ETN)
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Date/Time Group
yymmddThhnnZB
- Event Beginning Date/Time
yymmddThhnnZE -
Event Ending Date/Time
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yy
- year
mm
- month
dd
- day
T
- fixed time indicator
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hh
- hour
nn
- minute
Z
- fixed UTC indicator
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Product (k)
class
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O Operational product
T Test product
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E Experimental product
X Experimental VTEC in Operational product
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Phenomena
(pp)
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BZ Blizzard
WS Winter Storm
WW Winter Weather
SN Snow
HS Heavy Snow
LE Lake Effect Snow
LB Lake Effect Snow & Blowing Snow
BS Blowing/Drifting Snow
SB Snow & Blowing Snow
IP Sleet
HP Heavy Sleet
ZR Freezing Rain
IS Ice Storm
FZ Freeze
ZF Freezing Fog
FR Frost
WC Wind Chill
EC Extreme Cold
|
WI Wind
HW High Wind
LW Lake Wind
FG Dense Fog
SM Dense Smoke
HT Heat
EH Excessive Heat
DU Blowing Dust
DS Dust Storm
FL Flood
FF Flash Flood
SV Severe Thunderstorm
TO Tornado
FW Fire Weather
RH Radiological Hazard
VO Volcano
AF Volcanic Ashfall
AS Air Stagnation
|
AV Avalanche
TS Tsunami
MA Marine
SC Small Craft
GL Gale
SR Storm
HF Hurricane Force Wind
TR Tropical Storm
HU Hurricane
TY
Typhoon
TI Inland Tropical Storm Wind
HI Inland Hurricane Wind
LS Lakeshore Flood
CF Coastal Flood
UP
Ice Accretion
LO Low Water
SU High Surf
|
Actions (aaa)
|
NEW New event
CON Event continued
EXT Event extended (time)
EXA Event extended (area)
EXB Event extended (both time and area)
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UPG Event upgraded
CAN Event cancelled
EXP Event expired
COR Correction
ROU Routine
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Significance
(s)
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W Warning
A Watch
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Y Advisory
S Statement
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H-VTEC String:
/s.ic.yymmddThhnnZB.yymmddThhnnZC.yymmddThhnnZE.fr/
H-VTEC
String
|
Event Group
s -
Flood Severity (0, N, 1, 2, 3, U)
ic -
Immediate Cause (ER, SM, RS, DM, GO, IJ, IC, UU)
fr -
Flood Record (NO, NR, UU, OO)
|
Date/Time Group
yymmddThhnnZB
- Flood Begin Date/Time
yymmddThhnnZC
- Flood Crest Date/Time
yymmddThhnnZE
- Flood End Date/Time
|
Flood Severity (s)
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0
N
1
|
For areal flood
warnings or areal
flash flood products
None
Minor
|
2
3
U
|
Moderate
major
Unknown
|
Flood Timing
|
yymmddThhnnZB
yymmddThhnnZC
yymmddThhnnZE
|
Begin - time flood stage/level is exceeded
Crest - time of maximum stage/flow
End - time for fall below flood stage/level
|
Immediate Cause
(ic)
|
ER
SM
RS
DM
IJ
|
Excessive Rainfall
Snowmelt
Rain and Snowmelt
Dam or Levee Failure
Ice Jam
|
GO
IC
UU
|
Glacier-Dammed
Lake Outburst
Rain and/or Snowmelt and/or Ice Jam
Unknown
|
Flood Record
Status (fr)
|
NO
NR
UU
OO
|
A record flood is not expected
Near record or record flood expected
Flood without a period of record to compare
For areal flood
warnings or areal flash flood products
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Examples of VTEC in Products
For Alabama county codes click here - look for the last 3 numbers in the SAME# column. (example: 021 is Chilton County)
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