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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT..ALSO NAT. TECH. INFO. MESSAGE 97-09
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
300 PM EST THU FEB 13 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: CHANGES IN FORMAT OF THE CONVECTIVE WATCH
NARRATIVE EFFECTIVE APRIL 15 1997
BEGINNING APRIL 15 1997 AT 600 AM CDT /1100 UNIVERSAL TIME
COORDINATED /UTC/ ...CONVECTIVE WATCH NARRATIVE PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER /SPC/ AT NORMAN OK HAVE A NEW
FORMAT...PROVIDING SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE CURRENT VERSION.
O THE PRODUCT NOW INCLUDES BOTH BEGINNING AND ENDING
TIMES OF THE WATCH
O TECHNICAL INFORMATION HAS BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE NON-
TECHNICAL INFORMATION...WITH THE LATTER SITUATED NEAR
THE TOP OF THE PRODUCT;
O INSTEAD OF "A..." "C..." "D..." ETC... PARTS OF THE WATCH
NOW ARE IDENTIFIED WITH KEY WORDS "DISCUSSION"... "OTHER
WATCH INFORMATION..." AND "AVIATION"
O PLAIN LANGUAGE IS USED TO DESCRIBE THE POTENTIAL FOR
HAIL SIZE AND THUNDERSTORM WIND
O THE TERM "STORM MOTION VECTOR..." WHICH IS MORE DESCRIPTIVE
AND SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE...REPLACES "MEAN WIND VECTOR"
O LATITUDE/LONGITUDES OF WATCH BOX END POINTS ARE PLACED AT
THE BOTTOM AS WELL AS AT THE TOP OF THE PRODUCT. THIS
ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO PLOT THE BOX USING COMPUTER SOFTWARE.
THESE CHANGES ARE DESIGNED TO ALLOW FOR QUICKER AND EASIER
READING OF WATCH PRODUCTS. NO PRODUCT IDENTIFIER/HEADER CHANGES
AND NO UNIVERSAL GENERIC CODE CHANGES ARE REQUIRED BY NWWS
CUSTOMERS... FOS CUSTOMERS...OR OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS. HOWEVER...
CUSTOMERS MAY WISH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WATCH VALID TIMES AND
LATITUDE/ LONGITUDES OF WATCH BOX END POINTS FOR AUTOMATED
PLOTTING OF WATCHES. A GENERIC EXAMPLE OF THE CONVECTIVE WATCH
NARRATIVE/PRODUCT CATEGORY MKCSELX/WWUS9 KMKC FOLLOWS.
MKCSELX //X=0-9//
:XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY: WWUS9 KMKC DDHHMM //XXX
IS LATITUDE AND YYYY IS LONGITUDE FOR EACH WATCH BOX END POINT//
MKC WW DDHHMM
STZ000-STZ000-ETC.-DDHHMM- //STANDARD ZONES UGC BY STATE WITH
TERMINATION DATE/TIME//
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO /OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM/ WATCH NUMBER XXXX
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
LOCAL TIME/DAY/MON/YEAR
THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO /OR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM/ WATCH FOR ALL OR PORTIONS OF
/APPROPRIATE STATE SUB-REGIONS/
AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS //IF NEEDED//
EFFECTIVE /DAY/ FROM /LOCAL TIME/ ... TO /LOCAL TIME/
//OPTION FOR ENHANCED WORDING TO DESCRIBE A PARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS SITUATION.// //OPTION FOR TORNADOES... - HAIL TO XX
INCHES IN DIAMETER AND THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO XX MPH ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. - //
THE TORNADO /OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM/ WATCH IS ALONG AND XX
STATUTE MILES EITHER SIDE OF /OR NORTH AND SOUTH OF OR EAST AND
WEST OF/ A LINE FROM XX MILES //16-POINT COMPASS DIRECTION
SPELLED OUT// OF /LOCATION/ TO XX MILES //16-POINT COMPASS
DIRECTION SPELLED OUT// OF /LOCATION/.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO /OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM/ WATCH MEANS
CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS /AND TORNADOES
/ //IF TORNADO WATCH// IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS
IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...//OPTION FOR - THIS WATCH REPLACES WW
NUMBER XXXX - OTHERWISE...NONE.//
DISCUSSION...//FREE PLAIN LANGUAGE TEXT TECHNICAL DISCUSSION OF
METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS NECESSITATING THE WATCH//
AVIATION.../TORNADOES AND/ A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO //SIZE IN INCHES// INCHES. EXTREME
TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO XX KNOTS. A FEW
CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO XXX //HUNDREDS OF FEET// STORM
MOTION VECTOR XXXXX //VECTOR COMPONENT IN DEGREES AND KNOTS//.
...AUTHOR
:XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY XXX,YYYY: //WHERE XXX IS LATITUDE AND
YYYY IS LONGITUDE FOR EACH WATCH BOX END POINT//.
.............END OF GENERIC EXAMPLE..................
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS...PLEASE CONTACT
WILLIAM ALEXANDER 301-713-0090 X115 PAUL JANISH 405-579-0719
E-MAIL WILLIAM.ALEXANDER@xxxxxxxx E-MAIL PAUL.JANISH@xxxxxxxx
OFFICE OF MEREOROLOGY W/OM11 STORM PREDICTION CENTER
1325 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY 1313 HALLEY CIRCLE
SILVER SPRING MD 20910 NORMAN OK 73069
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