970109:

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 970109:
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 14:33:34 -0700 (MST)

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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
125 PM EST THU JAN 9 1997
 
TO        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ EMPLOYEES...FAMILY OF
          SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
          /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS
 
FROM      DONALD R. WERNLY...CHIEF...CUSTOMER SERVICE
 
SUBJECT   SHORT-FUSE SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS FROM SIX NWS     
          OFFICES TO TAKE ON A NEW LOOK...EFFECTIVE MARCH 12 1997
 
BEGINNING MARCH 12 1997 AT 600 AM CST / 1200 UNIVERSAL TIME
COORDINATED OR UTC/...SHORT FUSE SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS ISSUED
BY THE FOLLOWING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES /NWSO/ AND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES /NWSFO/ WILL HAVE A
DIFFERENT APPEARANCE.
 
                                                       CODE
OFFICE                                                 /NNN/
 
NWSFO MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN                               MKE 
NWSFO DETROIT/PONTIAC MICHIGAN                          DTX 
NWSFO CHEYENNE WYOMING                                  CYS   
NWSO GOODLAND KANSAS                                    GLD
NWSO MARQUETTE MICHIGAN                                 MQT
NWSO LACROSSE WISCONSIN                                 LSE
 
THE SHORT-FUSE WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED WITH A BULLET STYLE FORMAT
INSTEAD OF A LONGER VERSION USED IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
     
THIS FORMAT ALLOWS CRITICAL INFORMATION TO CLEARLY STANDOUT ON
INDIVIDUAL LINES SEPARATED BY A BLANK LINE.  THE NEW APPEARANCE
MAKES IT EASIER TO REVIEW AND READ THE WARNING QUICKLY.
 
NO PRODUCT IDENTIFIER/HEADER CHANGES AND NO UNIVERSAL GENERIC
CODE CHANGES ARE REQUIRED BY NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/
CUSTOMERS...FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ CUSTOMERS...OR OTHER NWS
CUSTOMERS.  HOWEVER SOME TELEVISION STATIONS...POSSIBLY INCLUDING
CABLE TELEVISION...WILL NEED TO ENSURE EQUIPMENT USED TO GENERATE
A CRAWL WILL ACCOMMODATE THE NEW WARNING FORMAT.
 
THE SHORT-FUSE WARNING PRODUCTS AFFECTED ARE
 
SHORT-FUSE WARNING PRODUCT      NWWS ID      WMO HEADER FOR FOS  
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING     CCCSVRNNN    WUUS1 KNNN
TORNADO WARNING                 CCCTORNNN    WFUS1 KNNN
FLASH FLOOD WARNING             CCCFFWNNN    WRUS1 KNNN
 
CONTENT OF THE WARNINGS WILL REMAIN THE SAME...ONLY THE
APPEARANCE WILL LOOK SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.  NWS OFFICES IN DES
MOINES IOWA...MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA...KANSAS CITY MISSOURI...AND
PUEBLO COLORADO USED THE NEW FORMAT DURING 1996.  CUSTOMER
SURVEYS PRODUCED HIGH MARKS AND POSITIVE COMMENTS FROM THE MEDIA
AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS.  A SAMPLE WARNING FORMAT FOLLOWS: 
 
    MSPTORMSP
    WFUS1 KMSP
 
    MNC999-221345-
 
    BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
    TORNADO WARNING
    NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 
    814 AM CDT MON APR 22 1996
 
    *  TORNADO WARNING FOR
       TEST COUNTY - SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA

    *  UNTIL 845 AM CDT
 
    *  SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
       TEST CITY
       EXAMPLE TOWN
 
    *  AT 812 AM CDT DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A TORNADO 10 MILES
       WEST OF TEST CITY MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
 
    *  THE STORM WILL BE NEAR TEST CITY AT 830 AM.
 
    IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IN A
    HOME OR BUSINESS IS AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR     
 
    POSSIBLE.
                ...END OF EXAMPLE...
 
THIS FORMAT MAY BE USED BY THE NWS OFFICE FOR A TEST TORNADO
WARNING AS PART OF THE ANNUAL OR MONTHLY TORNADO DRILLS...
BEGINNING THIS SPRING.  THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO ENSURE THAT
YOUR WARNING COMMUNICATION SYSTEM CAN ADAPT TO THE NEW WARNING
DESIGN.
 
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS...PLEASE CONTACT
DAVID RUNYAN  816-426-3239 EXT 703  E-MAIL DAVID.RUNYAN@xxxxxxxx
OR MIKE LOONEY 816-426-3239 EXT 701
NWS CENTRAL REGION HEADQUARTERS...ROOM 1836
601 E. 12TH STREET
KANSAS CITY MISSOURI  64106
 
...NOTE TO INTERNET USERS...
THIS AND ALL OTHER PENDING NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE FOLLOWING URL ADDRESS /IN LOWER CASE LETTERS/
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
 
 
END