Valid Time Event Code

VTEC Overview

• VTEC Explanation: a one-page color chart
• VTEC Primer: Your Guide to Interpreting VTEC : ppt
• Recorded VTEC Primer: 19 MB exe file
• VTEC Program Major Milestones
• VTEC usage in operational WFO products as of August 6, 2008, xls
• Valid Time Event Code (VTEC) Initial Implementation Training

VTEC-related NWS Instructions (NWSIs)

• NWSI 10-1703 - Valid Time Event Code (VTEC)
  • Updated Directive (effective August 18, 2005)
  • VTEC events spreadsheet (corrected February 28, 2008)
  • VTEC upgrade, downgrade, replacements spreadsheet
  • Comments received on November 2004 and May 2005 drafts
  • Original Directive (effective June 11, 2004)
• NWSI 10-313: Special Marine Warnings (effective July 5, 2006)
• NWSI 10-314: Marine Weather Statements (effective July 5, 2006)
• DRAFT NWSI 10-315: Marine Weather Warning Product Specification
• NWSI 10-320: Coastal/Lakeshore Flood Servies (effective July 5, 2006)
• NWSI 10-401: Fire Weather Services Product Specification (effective March 15, 2006)
• NWSI 10-511: WFO Severe Weather Products Specification (effective November 1, 2005)
• NWSI 10-512: National Severe Weather Products Specification (effective May 1, 2007)
• NWSI 10-513: WFO Winter Weather Products Specification (effective November 1, 2005)
• NWSI 10-515: WFO Non-Precipitation Products Specification (effective November 1, 2005)
• NWSI 10-922 WFO Hydrologic Products Specification (effective July 17, 2007)
• NWSM 10-923 WFO Hydrologic Product Examples (effective July 17, 2007)

Sample Products with VTEC

• Hydrologic Products
• Non-Precipitation Weather Watch/Warning/Advisory (W/W/A) Products
• Winter Weather W/W/A Products
• Short Duration Convective Watch/Warning Products
• Segmented Short-Duration Severe Weather Follow-up Statements and Coastal/Lakeshore Flood Products

VTEC Operational Testing

• 2006
  • VTEC Lessons Learned
    
• 2005
  • Graphical Headline Generator (GHG) Initial Operational Test and Evaluation Plan: doc
  • GHG/VTEC Operational Test and Evaluation Assessment Report: doc
    
• 2004
  • 2004 VTEC and Watch By County (WBC) Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) Assessment Report: doc
  • 2004 VTEC and WBC OT&E plan

VTEC Update Messages

• 2/5/08: Changes to the Hurricane Local Statement /HLS/: Effective June 1 2008
• 1/4/08: Editing Headlines to Enhance Clarity and Accuracy of Long Duration Weather Products: Effective Beginning January 2008
• 4/16/07: Addition of Valid TIme Event Codes for Hard Freeze Watches and Warning Effective with AWIPS Build 7.2
• 3/16/07: Nationwide Implementation of Experimental Valid Time Event Code /VTEC/ in Flood Products for Forecast Points Effective June 5 2007
• 3/16/07: Inclusion of Experimental Valid Time Event Code /VTEC/ in Areal Flood Products Issued by Selected Weather Forecast Offices: Effective April 2 2007
• 6/20/06: Operational Implementation of VTEC in Weather Forecast Office /WFO/ Flood Products for Forecast Points Effective October 18, 2006
• 2/14/06: Risk Reduction Activity for Inclusion of VTEC in Flood Warnings, Watches, and Advisories for Forecast Points Beginning April 4, 2006
• 1/26/06: Update on Upcoming Changes in Hydrologic Product Formats,.Delay in Implementation of VTEC for Certain Hydrologic Products
• 12/8/05: Honolulu Weather Forecast Office /WFO/ Operational Implementation of the Valid Time Event Code /VTEC/ in Six NWS Event-Driven Products and One Routine Marine Product Effective January 17, 2006
• 10/26/05: SCN 05-24 Operational Implementation of VTEC in 7 Event-Driven Products and 2 Routine Marine Products Effective November 1, 2005
• 6/30/05: SCN 05-28 Follow up to Service Change Notice 04-56, Implementation of VTEC in Hydrologic Products
• 6/30/05 - SCN 05-24 Operational Implementation of VTEC in 7 Event-Driven Products and 2 Routine Marine Products Effective November 1, 2005
• 6/30/05 - SCN 05-25  Operational Watch by County Products Effective November 1, 2005
• 1/28/05 - Amended SCN 04-45 Operational Implementation of VTEC in Most Event-Driven Products Effective 8 February 2005: Except Effective 16 March 2005 for WFO Anchorage
• 12/9/04 - Inclusion of Experimental VTEC in NWS W/W/A
• 11/5/04 - Amended: Operational Implementation of VTEC in Most Event-Driven Products
• 9/7/04 - VTEC and WBC OT&E Update
• 9/7/04 - VTEC and WBC OT&E Update
• 8/26/04 - VTEC and WBC OT&E
• 8/20/04 - VTEC and WBC OT&E
• 8/18/04 - Change to Standardized VTEC-Encoded Format for Hydrologic Products
• 8/2/04 - Operational Implementation of VTEC in Most NWS Event-driven Products
• 7/1/04 - Change to Segmented Format for Severe Weather Statement, Flash Flood Statement, Marine Weather Statement, and Coastal Flood Product
• 5/28/04 - VTEC and WBC Update
• 4/16/04 - Add Marine Zones and VTEC to Watch Outline Update Messages
• 2/13/04 - VTEC Update

NWS Partners Meeting VTEC briefings (all in PowerPoint)

• June 23, 2005, Silver Spring, MD
• January 13, 2005, San Diego, CA
• June 24, 2004, Silver Spring, MD
• January 15, 2004, Seattle, WA
• September 11, 2003, Silver Spring, MD

Hydrologic VTEC Information

(For NWS Offices only) VTEC Issues: Operations and Product Formatters

• Tropical Job Sheets
  • New Segmented, VTEC-enabled HLS Frequently Asked Questions
  • Using the Graphical Hazards Generator (GHG) for Tropical Operations
    
• WBC
  • WBC Operations
  • OB6 Test Practice Mode
  • Watchautomater Information
  • WBC Operations Training, zip
    
• GHG
  • OB9 GFE training
  • OB8.3.1 GFE training
  • Extending Part of a GFE Hazard
  • ISC Changes in OB8.3
  • GHG/VTEC OT&E Lessons Learned
  • WBC Job Sheets for GHG
    
• Headlines
  • Standardized Headline Time Phrases for Long Duration W/W/A Products
    
• NWR
  • Instructions for EWW Implementation in NWRWAVES
  • How to Temporarily Stop CRS from Broadcasting Particular Message Type (PIL)
    
• WarnGen - Instructions and Job Sheets
  • OB9 WarnGen Template Changes
  • Creating an SVR and SMW from the Same Track
  • Correcting a GFE-issued Product
  • Extending Hydro Products
  • Test Practice Mode Job Sheet
  • Updated WarnGen Segmentations Instructions
  • Handling a TOR and SVR in same county
  • Correctly retransmitting a warning
  • Canceling warnings in WarnGen
  • Doing text corrections
  • Choosing a warning to followup or correct
  • Doing partial cancellations
  • Creating an expiration statement
  • Creating a properly formatted followup statement

Contact Information

Questions regarding VTEC should be sent to Herbert.White@noaa.gov, NWS Dissemination Services Manager. Herb will initiate any action or response to questions with the NWS Systems Engineering Center or the leader of the appropriate service programs, e.g., public, fire weather, marine, hydrology, climate.