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-------- Original Message --------
254
NOUS41 KWBC 301700
PNSWSH
Service Change Notice 13-10
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
1200 PM EST Wed Jan 30 2013
To: Subscribers:
-Family of Services
-NOAA Weather Wire Service
-Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
-NOAAPort
Other NWS partners and NWS employees
From: Eli Jacks
Chief, Fire and Public Weather Services Branch
Subject: Enhanced Bulleted Format of NWS Storm Prediction
Center (SPC) Public Watch Notification Messages (SEL)
(CONUS Only) Effective April 16, 2013
Effective Tuesday, April 16, 2013, at 1500 Coordinated Universal
Time (UTC), the SPC will begin issuing Public Watch Notification
Messages (AWIPS ID SEL#, both the Public Severe Thunderstorm
Watch Notification Message and the Public Tornado Watch
Notification Message, with an enhanced bulleted format that
includes primary threat information statements. These products
are issued only for the Continental United States (CONUS).
The Enhanced Bulleted Format is an initial step toward:
1. Improved readability
2. Consistency with convective warnings and other products
3. Inclusion of more specific threat information
Threat information is based on the tornado, damaging wind, and
large hail watch hazard probabilities, and is intended to better
convey the severe weather risks for each watch.
The SPC Public Severe Thunderstorm Watch Notification Message and
the SPC Public Tornado Watch Notification Message will include
three bullets, each preceded by a left justified asterisk and a
single space. The bullets will provide:
-Watch type and an area description
-Watch expiration time
-List of primary threats in order of importance.
All other text in the bulleted area will be preceded by two
spaces.
The SEL will include "...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS
SITUATION..." between the second and third bullet when there is a
likelihood of multiple strong or violent (EF2 - EF5) tornadoes in
a tornado watch, or when conditions are favorable for widespread
significant non-tornadic severe weather events (convective winds
greater than 75 mph) in a severe thunderstorm watch.
Following the three bullets will be a paragraph with a general
area description including the axis of the watch.
The new format will also include Call-To-Action (CTA) markers
similar to other watch and warning products. The CTA markers will
use "PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS..." and && character
strings to indicate the CTA beginning and ending, respectively.
The "PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS..." and && character
strings will be left justified with no other characters on the
same line of text.
Following the CTA will be the following three sections:
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...
DISCUSSION...
AVIATION...
The watch will end with:
...FORECASTER NAME
SEL examples with the Enhanced Bulleted Format are online at:
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/SELhazard/
For more information, please contact:
John Ferree
NWS Severe Storms Services
Norman, OK 73072
john.t.ferree@xxxxxxxx
405-325-2209
National Service Change Notices are online at:
http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm
$$
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