[nws-changes] 20121018: extend test period- Fwd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [nws-changes] 20121018: extend test period- Fwd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:16:01 -0600

-------- Original Message --------

435
NOUS41 KWBC 181804
PNSWSH

Technical Implementation Notice 11-38 Amended
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
205 PM EDT Thu Oct 18 2012

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

From:       Richard J. Vogt
            Director, WSR-88D Radar Operations Center

Subject:    Amended to Extend Test Period: NWS Field Test Using
            New WSR-88D in Grays Harbor County, WA

Amended to extend the 1 year test of an additional scan angle
less than 0.5 deg. elevation angle on the WSR-88D in Grays Harbor
County, WA, (KLGX) for another year.

of an additional scan angle less than 0.5 deg. elevation (0.176
deg.) on the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) in
Grays Harbor County, WA (KLGX). The purposes of extending the
test are to continue to determine the operational benefit(s) of
having a lower scan angle and the effectiveness of the Clutter
Mitigation Decision (CMD) algorithm to identify ground clutter.
The test will begin November 1, 2012 (i.e., no lapse in use of
the lower scan angle). The software containing the new CMD
algorithm is scheduled to be loaded on KLGX between late January
and early February 2013.

As announced in TIN 38-11, Level III products will not include
data from the lower scan angle. Thus, the product formats and
contents will not change during the field test. Users will notice
volume coverage pattern (VCP) durations increase by 30 to 150
seconds when the experimental additional lower scanning angle is
in use.

To support the real-time and post-analysis of the impacts of the
lower scan angle data, the Level II data stream will include the
data from the lower scan angle when in use. The Seattle Weather
Forecast Office will be able to turn the lower elevation scan on
and off at their discretion.  Changes in Level II data when the
additional test scan angle is being used are as follows:

- Experimental VCP numbers will increase by two, i.e., VCP11 will
  be VCP13
- Lower scan data will be the first data in a Level II file
- Lower scan will be a Split Cut

     Tim Crum
     WSR-88D Radar Operations Center
     Tim.D.Crum@xxxxxxxx

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