980424: Aviation Center backups

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 980424: Aviation Center backups
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 09:42:56 -0600 (MDT)

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NATIONAL TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION MESSAGE 98-08
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1000 AM EDT FRI APR 24 1998

TO:       NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEES...FAMILY OF SERVICES
          SUBSCRIBERS...FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
          EMPLOYEES...AND OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS

FROM:     THERESE Z. PIERCE
          CHIEF-INTEGRATED HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES CORE
          NWS OFFICE OF METEOROLOGY

SUBJECT:  BACKUP OF AVIATION WEATHER CENTER PRODUCTS SCHEDULED
          FROM 1300 UTC ON APRIL 28 1998 UNTIL 2100 UTC ON APRIL
          28 1998

...THE FOLLOWING CHANGES HAVE NO IMPACT ON NOAA WEATHER WIRE
SUBSCRIBERS...

ON APRIL 28 1998...IN A PLANNED BACK-UP TEST...SIGMETS, AND
AIRMETS/SIERRA...ZULU...TANGO/IN THE BOSTON...MIAMI...CHICAGO...
FORT WORTH...AND SALT LAKE CITY FA AREAS ...WHICH ARE NORMALLY
PREPARED BY THE AVIATION WEATHER CENTER/AWC WILL BE PREPARED BY
THE AIR FORCE WEATHER AGENCY/AFWA.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH PUBLISHED BACK-UP PROCEDURES...CONVECTIVE
SIGMETS WILL NOT BE ISSUED FOR THE BOS...MIA...CHI...DFW...OR SLC
FA AREAS DURING THE PERIOD THAT AFWA IS PROVIDING AWC BACKUP. 
INFORMATION FOR AREAS OF ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ISSUED AS
SIGMETS.  AN AREA OF ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS IS DEFINED AS THE
OCCURRENCE OR EXPECTED OCCURRENCE OF AN AREA OF 3000 NAUTICAL
SQUARE MILES OR MORE OF WIDESPREAD CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS OR
CUMULONIMBUS ALONG A LINE WITH LITTLE OR NO SPACE BETWEEN CLOUDS
OR TO CUMULONIMBUS EMBEDDED IN CLOUD LAYERS OR CONCEALED IN HAZE.

THE BACK-UP WILL TAKE PLACE FOR THE 8-HOUR PERIOD BEGINNING AT
1300 UTC/0700CST.

DURING THE BACK-UP TEST A FORECASTER AT THE AWC IN KANSAS CITY
WILL BE COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH THE AFWA FORECASTER.  AWC WILL
BE ABLE TO RESUME FORECASTING SERVICES OR INTERVENE ANYTIME
DURING THE TEST IF NECESSARY.  AFTER THE BACKUP TEST IS COMPLETED
THE AREA FORECAST/FA/WILL BE TRANSMITTED BY THE FORECASTER ON
DUTY AT AWC.

THE AFWA WILL PREPARE AND ISSUE 

AIRMET "S"...
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA1S/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KBOS
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA2S/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KMIA
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA3S/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KCHI
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA4S/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KDFW
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA5S/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KSLC
AIRMET "T"...
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA1T/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KBOS
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA2T/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KMIA
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA3T/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KCHI
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA4T/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KDFW
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA5T/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KSLC
AIRMET "Z"...
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA1Z/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KBOS
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA2Z/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KMIA
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA3Z/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KCHI
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA4Z/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KDFW
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA5Z/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KSLC
SIGMET...
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS1*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KBOS
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS2*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KMIA
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS3*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KCHI
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS4*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KDFW
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS5*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KSLC
URGENT SIGMET...
    AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS1*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KBOS
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS2*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KMIA
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS3*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KCHI
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS4*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KDFW
            AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS5*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KSLC

THE ASTERISK /*/ IN THE AFOS IDENTIFIERS FOR THE SIGMENTS AND
URGENT SIGMENTS STANDS FOR NOVEMBER THROUGH YANKEE EXCEPT FOR
SIERRA AND TANGO.

A REMINDER MESSAGE WILL BE APPENDED TO THE BOSTON...MIAMI...
CHICAGO FORT WORTH AND SALT LAKE CITY AREA FORECASTS ISSUED ON
THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TEST BEGINS.

THE PLAN IS TO ADD SAN FRANCISCO IN MAY, WITH DATE OF TEST YET TO
BE DETERMINED.  AT THAT TIME AFWA WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO
BACK UP ALL REQUIRED DOMESTIC SIGMETS WHICH WOULD INCLUDE AREAS
OF ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS...AND AIRMETS.  INFORMATION REGARDING
THIS TEST AND FUTURE TESTS WILL BE PROVIDED IN FUTURE NATIONAL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION MESSAGES. 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE AWC BACK-UP
TEST...CONTACT

     JAMES H. HENDERSON
     DEPUTY DIRECTOR, AVIATION WEATHER CENTER
     816-426-3427 X 226
     E-MAIL: JAMES.H.HENDERSON@xxxxxxxx
END