NOUS41 KWBC 201320
PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 06-23
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
920 AM EDT TUE JUN 20 2006

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...NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:     THOMAS GRAZIANO  
          ACTING CHIEF...HYDROLOGIC SERVICES DIVISION            
          OFFICE OF CLIMATE WATER AND WEATHER SERVICES

SUBJECT:  OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OF VTEC IN WEATHER FORECAST
          OFFICE /WFO/ FLOOD PRODUCTS FOR FORECAST POINTS:
          EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 18 2006 

REFER TO: SCN 06-10 TRANSMITTED FEBRUARY 14 2006

EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18 2006 AT 1800 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL 
TIME /UTC/...PENDING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PREVIOUSLY 
ANNOUNCED RISK REDUCTION ACTIVITY AND A SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONAL 
TEST AND EVALUATION /OTE/...VALID TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/ WILL 
BECOME OPERATIONAL IN THE FOLLOWING WFO PRODUCTS:

    FLOOD WARNING FOR FORECAST POINTS /FLW/
    FLOOD STATEMENT - FOLLOW UP FLOOD WARNING FOR FORECAST POINTS /FLS/
    FLOOD ADVISORY FOR FORECAST POINTS /FLS/
    FLOOD WATCH FOR FORECAST POINTS /FFA/

AS DESCRIBED IN PREVIOUS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES...THESE PRODUCTS 
WILL UNDERGO SEVERAL CHANGES. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

1.  A BULLETED...ONE FORECAST POINT PER SEGMENT FORMAT WILL BE 
USED...WITH EACH SEGMENT ENDING WITH A DOUBLE DOLLAR SIGN.

2.  EACH SEGMENT WILL HAVE ITS OWN UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE/S/ 
/UGC/ LISTED WITH THE ASSOCIATED FORECAST POINT. THE SAME UGC 
COULD OCCUR IN MULTIPLE SEGMENTS IF A COUNTY HAS MORE THAN ONE 
FORECAST POINT.

3.  EACH SEGMENT WILL HAVE ITS OWN VTEC FOLLOWING THE UGC.

EXAMPLES OF HYDROLOGIC PRODUCTS WITH THE NEW FORMATS AND VTEC CAN 
BE FOUND IN THE PENDING VERSION OF NWS MANUAL 10-923...WHICH IS 
AVAILABLE ONLINE UNTIL JULY 11 2006 AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DIRECTIVES/SYM/PD01009023PEND.PDF

ON JULY 11...THE PENDING VERSION OF NWS MANUAL 10-923 WILL BECOME 
OFFICIAL AND THEN ITS URL WILL BE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DIRECTIVES/SYM/PD01009023CURR.PDF

PROCEDURES ON THE CONTENT...FORMAT...AND APPLICATION OF VTEC IN 
HYDROLOGIC PRODUCTS CAN BE FOUND IN THE PENDING VERSION OF NWS 
INSTRUCTION 10-922...WHICH IS AVAILABLE ONLINE UNTIL JULY 11 2006 
AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DIRECTIVES/SYM/PD01009022PEND.PDF

ON JULY 11...THE PENDING VERSION OF NWS INSTRUCTION 10-922 WILL 
BECOME OFFICIAL AND THEN ITS URL WILL BE /USE LOWER CASE 
LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DIRECTIVES/SYM/PD01009022CURR.PDF

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON VTEC CAN BE FOUND AT THE VTEC WEB SITE 
AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

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

THE LATEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON HYDROLOGIC VTEC...INCLUDING 
SOME NEW TRAINING MATERIALS FOR USERS OF NWS HYDROLOGIC 
PRODUCTS...NWS LOCATION IDENTIFIER INFORMATION...AND SCHEDULES 
FOR RISK REDUCTION... OTE...AND OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION WILL 
BE POSTED AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/VTEC/HYDRO_VTEC.SHTML
  
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...PLEASE CONTACT:

     TOM DONALDSON
     WFO SERVICES PROGRAM LEADER
     SILVER SPRING MD 
     PHONE:  301-713-0006 EXT. 173
     E-MAIL: THOMAS.DONALDSON@NOAA.GOV

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

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

$$
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