[nws-changes] F20120705; AUTOMATED FOOD WARNING SYSTEM wd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [nws-changes] F20120705; AUTOMATED FOOD WARNING SYSTEM wd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:09:11 -0600

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC
Date:   Thu, 5 Jul 2012 10:43:53 -0600
From:   Unidata Local Data Manager <ldm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To:     ldmnotices@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



066
NOUS41 KWBC 051643
PNSWSH

Service Change Notice 12-25
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
1243 PM EDT Thu Jul 5 2012

To:      Subscribers:
         -Family of Services
         -NOAA Weather Wire Service
         -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
         -NOAAPORT
         Other NWS Partners and NWS Employees

 From:   Thomas Graziano
         Chief, Hydrologic Services Division
         National Weather Service Headquarters

Subject: NWS to Establish New Methods to Collect Automated Flood
         Warning System Information by March 31, 2013

For over 30 years, the NWS has routinely collected raw Automated Local
Evaluation in Real Time (ALERT) messages.  NWS field offices make use
of these ALERT messages to support hydrologic forecast and warning
operations.  The NWS Automated Flood Warning System (AFWS) currently
collects and processes raw ALERT messages 24x7x365 from over 1700
rainfall and stream sensors in 12 states: Connecticut, Kentucky,
Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.  These data
are used routinely to generate NWS river forecasts and flood
advisories, watches, and warnings.

By March 31, 2013, to ensure ALERT data continue to be available for
forecast and warning operations, the NWS is engaging data partners and
requesting they provide ALERT messages to the NWS in a Standard
Hydrologic Exchange Format (SHEF).

SHEF is a well-established and well-documented standard for data
exchange.  This request will increase the efficiency and extensibility
of the NWS AFWS and enable better integration of ALERT data into the
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) web portal.  The NWS
will work with data partners to effect a transition to this new AFWS
operational workflow. After March 31, 2013, NWS will no longer be able
to ingest raw ALERT messages.

The NWS is requesting SHEF encoded ALERT messages from these 12 states
be sent to a central NWS server within the Office of Hydrologic
Development. The ALERT messages will then be encoded within OHDs
Hydrometeorological Automated Data System and disseminated over the
Satellite Broadcast Network to assure the continued availability and
use by the NWS field offices in the watch, warning, and advisory
mission.  Additionally, the NWS will update our AHPS Web pages to
include the timely display of data from these AFWS rain and stream
sites. These AFWS data will be managed, integrated and displayed by
the NWS in the same manner as data for AHPS sites.

Detailed information on SHEF is available at:

  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01009044curr.pdf

The AHPS Web page portal is found at:

  http://water.weather.gov/ahps/

For questions or to access more information about the new methods to
collect AFWS data, please contact:

John Bradley
National Automated Flood Warning System Coordinator
National Weather Service Headquarters
301-713-0624 x154
    john.bradley@xxxxxxxx

National Service Change Notices are online at:

  http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm

$$