NOUS41 KWBC 161159
PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 07-12
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
800 AM EDT FRI MAR 16 2007

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

FROM:      THOMAS GRAZIANO
           ACTING CHIEF...HYDROLOGIC SERVICES DIVISION

SUBJECT:   INCLUSION OF EXPERIMENTAL VALID TIME EVENT CODE
           /VTEC/ IN AREAL FLOOD PRODUCTS ISSUED BY SELECTED   
           WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES: EFFECTIVE APRIL 2 2007

REFER TO:  SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE /SCN/ 06-02 TRANSMITTED
           JANUARY 19 2006 AND CORRECTED SCN 06-02 TRANSMITTED
           JANUARY 26 2006

EFFECTIVE APRIL 2 2007 AT 1200 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME 
/UTC/... SELECTED NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES /WFO/ WILL BEGIN 
INCLUDING EXPERIMENTAL VTEC IN THE FOLLOWING AREAL FLOOD 
PRODUCTS:

     FLASH FLOOD WARNING /FFW/
     FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT /FFS/
     AREAL FLOOD WARNING /FLW/
     FLOOD STATEMENT - FOLLOW UP TO AREAL FLOOD WARNING /FLS/
     FLOOD STATEMENT - AREAL ADVISORIES /FLS/

NOTE: EXPERIMENTAL VTEC FOLLOWS ALL VTEC STANDARDS AS DESCRIBED 
IN NWS INSTRUCTION 10-1703...BUT USES THE EXPERIMENTAL /X/ 
PRODUCT CLASS CODE.

AS INDICATED IN SCN 06-02 AND CORRECTED SCN 06-02...INCLUSION OF 
HYDROLOGIC VTEC HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR AREAL FLOOD PRODUCTS FOR 
SOME TIME. MORE TIME WAS NEEDED TO ENSURE VTEC WAS READY FOR 
THESE PRODUCTS.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EXPERIMENTAL VTEC AT SELECTED WFOS IS 
BEING DONE AS PART OF A RISK REDUCTION ACTIVITY TO DETERMINE 
READINESS FOR NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION. PENDING A SUCCESSFUL RISK 
REDUCTION ACTIVITY...NATIONWIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF EXPERIMENTAL 
VTEC IN THE ABOVE PRODUCTS IS PLANNED TO OCCUR BY SEPTEMBER 13 
2007. FULL OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION IS SLATED FOR OCTOBER 17 
2007. THE ONLY CHANGE TAKING PLACE ON OCTOBER 17 WILL BE A 
SWITCH FROM USING THE EXPERIMENTAL /X/ PRODUCT CLASS CODE TO THE 
OPERATIONAL /O/ PRODUCT CLASS CODE.

THE LATEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF VTEC IN 
ALL NWS HYDROLOGIC PRODUCTS...INCLUDING TABLES LISTING THE WFOS 
PARTICIPATING IN THIS RISK REDUCTION ACTIVITY...CAN BE FOUND ON 
THE HYDROLOGIC VTEC WEBSITE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/VTEC/HYDRO_VTEC.SHTML

TO SUBSCRIBE TO NOTIFICATIONS VIA RSS FEED WHEN ANY ITEM ON THE 
HYDROLOGIC VTEC WEBSITE IS UPDATED...CLICK THE RSS/XML LOG AT 
THE TOP OF THE WEB PAGE....OR ADD THE FOLLOWING RSS FEED URL: 
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OS/VTEC/HYDRO/HYDROVTEC.XML.RSS /USE 
LOWER CASE LETTERS/ TO YOUR RSS READER TO SUBSCRIBE.

GENERAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON VTEC CAN BE FOUND AT THE VTEC 
WEBSITE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OS/VTEC

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...PLEASE CONTACT:

     TIM HELBLE
     NATIONAL HYDROLOGIC POLICY PROGRAM LEADER 
     SILVER SPRING MD 
     PHONE:  301-713-0006 EXT. 152 
     E-MAIL: TIMOTHY.HELBLE@NOAA.GOV

THIS AND OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE 
AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

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

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