[nws-changes] 20120622: improved space wx watch Fwd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [nws-changes] 20120622: improved space wx watch Fwd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:28:09 -0600

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

294
NOUS41 KWBC 221421
PNSWSH

Service Change Notice 12-24
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
1022 AM EDT Fri Jun 22 2012

TO:       Subscribers:
          - Family of Services
          - NOAA Weather Wire Service
          - Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
          - NOAAPORT
          Other NWS partners and NWS employees

FROM:     Jason Tuell
          Chief, Meteorological Services Division

SUBJECT:  Implementation of Improved Space Weather Watch
          Effective July 25, 2012

Effective Wednesday, July 25, 2012, at 1600 Coordinated Universal
Time (UTC), the NWS Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in
Boulder, Colorado, will modernize its geomagnetic storm watch
products.  These products will now be issued relative to the
highest expected geomagnetic storm category (NOAA Scale) and will
be based on the 3-hour geomagnetic K-index rather than the
24-hour A-index. This change will better align the SWPC
Geomagnetic Watch products with its Geomagnetic Warning products
and NOAA Scale designations.

The following SWPC products will be affected by this change:

AWIPS ID   WMO Header    Current Product Name          NOAA Scale
--------   ----------    --------------------          ----------
SWXWATA20  WOXX20 KWNP   WATCH: Geomagnetic A-index 20      G1
                         or greater predicted
SWXWATA30  WOXX21 KWNP   WATCH: Geomagnetic A-index 30      G2
                         or greater predicted
SWXWATA50  WOXX22 KWNP   WATCH: Geomagnetic A-index 50      G3
                         or greater predicted
SWXWATA99  WOXX23 KWNP   WATCH: Geomagnetic A-index 100     G4-G5
                         or greater predicted

The AWIPS ID and WMO Header for these products will remain the
same; however, the product names will change:

AWIPS ID   WMO Header    New Product Name
--------   ----------    --------------------

SWXWATA20  WOXX20 KWNP   WATCH: Geomagnetic Storm Category G1
                         predicted
SWXWATA30  WOXX21 KWNP   WATCH: Geomagnetic Storm Category G2
                         predicted
SWXWATA50  WOXX22 KWNP   WATCH: Geomagnetic Storm Category G3
                         predicted
SWXWATA99  WOXX23 KWNP   WATCH: Geomagnetic Storm Category G4
                         or greater predicted

For more information, please contact:

Robert Rutledge                    Joe Kunches
Lead, SWF SWPC                     Customer and Media Relations
Boulder, CO 80305                  SWPC Boulder, CO 80305
303-497-3029                       303-497-5275
Robert.Rutledge@xxxxxxxx           Joseph.Kunches@xxxxxxxx

National Service Change Notices are online at:

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

$$