NOUS41 KWBC  011746
PNSWSH

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 07-32
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
145 PM EDT TUE MAY 1 2007

TO:	   FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA 
	   WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS... 
	   EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK 
	   /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAAPORT SUBSCRIBERS...
	   OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS   
	   AND PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:	   GLENN AUSTIN
	   DIGITAL SERVICES TRANSITION MANAGER
	   OFFICE OF CLIMATE...WATER...AND WEATHER SERVICES

SUBJECT:   SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT ELEMENT TO BECOME  
           OPERATIONAL IN THE NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST  
           DATABASE ON MAY 31 2007 AT 1200 UTC

REFER TO:  TIN 07-31 ANNOUNCING PROBABILISTIC TROPICAL CYCLONE  
           SURFACE WIND SPEED ELEMENTS BECOMING OPERATIONAL IN  
           NDFD ON THE SAME DATE
 
EFFECTIVE MAY 31 2007 AT 1200 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME 
/UTC/...THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT ELEMENT IN THE NATIONAL 
DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE /NDFD/ WILL BE UPGRADED FROM 
EXPERIMENTAL TO OPERATIONAL STATUS.  SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT HAS 
BEEN AN EXPERIMENTAL ELEMENT IN NDFD SINCE JUNE 2003.

SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE 
COTERMINOUS U.S. /CONUS/...THE 16 PRE-DEFINED NDFD CONUS 
SUBSECTORS...PUERTO RICO/THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...HAWAII...AND GUAM.  
THE DEFINITION FOR SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT IS AVAILABLE ON THE 
LIST OF NDFD ELEMENT DEFINITIONS AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

      HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/NDFD/DEFINITIONS.HTM

USERS OF NDFD GRAPHICS...NDFD IN EXTENSIBLE MARKUP LANGUAGE 
/XML/ VIA WEB SERVICE...OR THE NEW EXPERIMENTAL NDFD WEB FEATURE 
SERVICE BEING IMPLEMENTED TODAY /MAY 1 2007/ ARE NOT AFFECTED BY 
THIS CHANGE IN STATUS FROM EXPERIMENTAL TO OPERATIONAL.

THIS CHANGE PRIMARILY AFFECTS USERS WHO PULL THESE ELEMENTS IN 
GRIDDED BINARY /GRIB2/ FORMAT FROM THE NWS FILE TRANSFER 
PROTOCOL /FTP/ SERVER...EITHER VIA THE INTERNET OR VIA THE 
FAMILY OF SERVICES SERVER ACCESS SERVICE. THOSE USERS WILL NEED 
TO PULL THIS ELEMENT FROM A DIFFERENT URL/S/ TO CONTINUE TO 
RECEIVE THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT ELEMENT AND MAY NEED TO 
UPDATE PROCEDURES AND/OR SCRIPTS TO ENSURE CONTINUED ACCESS.  

ADDITIONAL DETAILS ABOUT THIS IMPLEMENTATION...INCLUDING 
SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR FTP USERS...ARE AVAILABLE AT /USE LOWER 
CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NDFD/WAVEH_6TPC_OPER_IMPLEM.HTM

IF MAY 31 2007 IS A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY...THIS IMPLEMENTATION 
MAY BE POSTPONED.  IN THAT CASE USERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THAT 
DECISION VIA A TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE AS FAR IN ADVANCE 
AS POSSIBLE.

DETAILED INFORMATION ON OPTIONS FOR ACCESSING AND USING THE NDFD 
IS AVAILABLE AT /USER LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

	HTTP://NDFD.WEATHER.GOV/TECHNICAL.HTM

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE...PLEASE CONTACT:

     MARK TEW
     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
     MARINE AND COASTAL SERVICES BRANCH
     1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
     SILVER SPRING MARYLAND 20910
     E-MAIL:  MARK.TEW@NOAA.GOV

IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE 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
     EMAIL:  DAVID.RUTH@NOAA.GOV

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE 
NDFD ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NDFD/TINS.HTM

ALL NWS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE POSTED AT /USE 
LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM

$$
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