20061221: UGC-avalanche warnings Fwd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC]

[Linda Miller]

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

297 
NOUS41 KWBC 211527
PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 06-46
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1027 AM EST THU DEC 21 2006

TO:      FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
         WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS 
         WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...
         NOAAPORT SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
         /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:    ELI JACKS
         FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH CHIEF

SUBJECT: UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/ CHANGE FOR AVALANCHE
         WATCHES/WARNINGS IN CERTAIN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS  
         EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY CERTAIN NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES /WFO/ 
IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF NWS CENTRAL...SOUTHERN...AND WESTERN 
REGIONS MAY BEGIN USING THE ZONE /Z/ FORM OF THE UNIVERSAL 
GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/ INSTEAD OF THE COUNTY /C/ FORM OF THE UGC 
FOR AVALANCHE WATCH /AVA/ AND AVALANCHE WARNING /AVW/ PRODUCTS.  
THE UGC CODE IS EMBEDDED WITHIN THE VALID TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/ 
OF THESE PRODUCTS.

AFFECTED WFOS WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THEIR USERS OF AVA/AVW 
PRODUCTS TO ENSURE USERS ARE AWARE OF THIS CHANGE IF IT AFFECTS 
AVA/AVW PRODUCTS THEY ISSUE. USERS UNSURE WHETHER THIS CHANGE 
AFFECTS AVA/AVW PRODUCTS THEY USE SHOULD CONTACT THE ISSUING WFO 
FOR GUIDANCE.

RECENT EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT USING THE COUNTY /C/ FORM OF 
THE UGC FOR AVA/AVW PRODUCTS IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OVERSTATES THE 
INTENDED WATCH/WARNING AREA. IN ADDITION USING THE ZONE /Z/ FORM 
OF THE UGC FOR AVA/AVW PRODUCTS MORE CLOSELY ALIGNS THESE 
PRODUCTS WITH OTHER WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS THAT USE THE ZONE 
/Z/ FORM OF THE UGC.

TABLE 1 BELOW DETAILS THE GENERIC AWIPS ID AND WMO HEADINGS OF 
AVA/AVW PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE.

TABLE 1. AVA/AVW AWIPS ID AND WMO HEADINGS

PRODUCT             AWIPS ID  WMO HEADING 

AVALANCHE WATCH     AVAXXX    WOUSII KYYY
AVALANCHE WARNING   AVWXXX    WOUSII KYYY

NOTE:  XXX IS THE THREE-LETTER WFO IDENTIFIER AND YYY IS THE 
AWIPS NODE.

AGAIN ...AFFECTED WFOS WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THEIR USERS OF 
AVA/AVW PRODUCTS TO ENSURE USERS ARE AWARE OF THIS CHANGE IF IT 
AFFECTS AVA/AVW PRODUCTS THEY ISSUE. USERS UNSURE WHETHER THIS 
CHANGE AFFECTS AVA/AVW PRODUCTS THEY USE SHOULD CONTACT THE 
ISSUING WFO FOR GUIDANCE.  

ALTHOUGH THIS NOTIFICATION IS LESS THAN THE REQUIRED 120 DAYS AS 
SPECIFIED BY NWSI 10-1805... THE NWS BELIEVES IMMEDIATE 
IMPLEMENTATION IS WARRANTED BECAUSE AVALANCHE DANGER ALREADY 
EXISTS FOR WFOS WITH WARNING RESPONSIBILITY FOR MOUNTAINOUS 
AREAS.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE CHANGES... PLEASE CONTACT:

     PAUL STOKOLS
     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
     1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
     SILVER SPRING MD 20910
     PHONE: 301-713-1867
     EMAIL: PAUL.STOKOLS at NOAA.GOV

THIS AND OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE POSTED AT  
/USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

      HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM

$$


-- 
Linda Miller - lmiller at unidata.ucar.edu
Community Services, Unidata
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000
303-497-8646 fax: 303-497-8690 


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