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NOUS41 KWBC 171428
PNSNMC
NATIONAL TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION MESSAGE 98-05
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
930 AM EST TUE FEB 17 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 FEBRUARY 19 1998 UNTIL 2100 UTC ON FEBRUARY 19 1998
...THE FOLLOWING CHANGES HAVE NO IMPACT ON NOAA WEATHER WIRE
SUBSCRIBERS...
ON FEBRUARY 19 1998...THE AIR FORCE WEATHER AGENCY/AFWA...
FORMERLY AIR FORCE GLOBAL WEATHER CENTER/AFGWC/AT OFFUTT AIR
FORCE BASE WILL ASSUME...IN A PLANNED BACK-UP TEST...FORECAST AND
WARNING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE NON-CONVECTIVE SIGMETS, AND
AIRMETS/SIERRA...ZULU...TANGO/ IN THE BOSTON...MIAMI...AND
CHICAGO FA AREAS...WHICH ARE NORMALLY PREPARED BY THE AVIATION
WEATHER CENTER/AWC.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH PUBLISHED BACKUP PROCEDURES...CONVECTIVE
SIGMETS WILL NOT BE ISSUED FOR THE BOS...MIA...OR CHI FA AREAS
DURING THE PERIOD THAT AFWA IS PROVIDING AWC BACKUP. INFORMATION
FOR AREAS OF ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ISSUED AS
NON-CONVECTIVE 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 AFGWC 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
AIRMET "T"...
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA1T/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KBOS
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA2T/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KMIA
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA3T/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KCHI
AIRMET "Z"...
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA1Z/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KBOS
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA2Z/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KMIA
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWA3Z/WMO HEADER WAUS1 KCHI
NON-CONVECTIVE SIGMET...
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS1*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KBOS
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS2*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KMIA
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS3*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KCHI
URGENT NON-CONVECTIVE SIGMET...
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS1*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KBOS
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS2*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KMIA
AFOS IDENTIFIER MKCWS3*/WMO HEADER WSUS1 KCHI
THE ASTERISK /*/ IN THE AFOS IDENTIFIERS FOR THE NON-CONVECTIVE
AND URGENT NON-CONVECTIVE SIGMENTS STANDS FOR NOVEMBER THROUGH
YANKEE EXCEPT FOR SIERRA AND TANGO.
A REMINDER MESSAGE WILL BE APPENDED TO THE BOSTON AND MIAMI AREA
FORECASTS ISSUED ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TEST
BEGINS.
A SERIES OF TESTS WITH AFWA IS PLANNED ADDING ONE FA REGION PER
MONTH. THE PLAN IS TO ADD FORT WORTH IN MARCH...SALT LAKE CITY
IN APRIL AND SAN FRANCISCO IN MAY. AT THAT TIME AFWA WOULD HAVE
THE CAPABILITY TO BACK UP ALL REQUIRED DOMESTIC NON-CONVECTIVE
SIGMETS WHICH WOULD INCLUDE AREAS OF ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS AND
AIRMETS. INFORMATION REGARDING THESE 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
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