[nws-changes] 20080509: Radiosonde Replacement Sys-: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC]

[Linda Miller]

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

260 
NOUS41 KWBC 091706
PNSWSH

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 08-41
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
106 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2008
         
TO:       SUBSCRIBERS:
  -FAMILY OF SERVICES
  -NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
  -EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK 
          OTHER NWS PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:  KEVIN SCHRAB       
  CHIEF... OBSERVING SERVICES DIVISION 
  OFFICE OF CLIMATE WATER AND WEATHER SERVICES 

SUBJECT:  FY08 SCHEDULE RADIOSONDE REPLACEMENT SYSTEM /RRS/
          IMPLEMENTATION WITH TERMINATION OF OPERATIONS OF
          RADIOTHEODOLITE TRACKING /ART/ AND RADIO DIRECTION 
          FINDING RADIOSONDES

NWS CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA AND ANCHORAGE ALASKA WILL CONVERT 
TO RRS TECHNOLOGY IN FY08. NWS WILL TERMINATE UPPER AIR 
OBSERVATIONS FROM RADIO DIRECTION FINDING RADIOSONDES AND 
AUTOMATED RADIOTHEODOLITE TRACKING AT THE TWO SITES LISTED BELOW 
ON OR ABOUT THE DATES INDICATED.

SID       STATION NAME        OUTAGE DATE

72208     CHARLESTON SC       12 JUN 2008
70273     ANCHORAGE AK        13 JUL 2008

NWS UPPER AIR OBSERVATIONS WILL RESUME APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS 
LATER. NWS WILL USE THE RRS WITH GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM /GPS/ 
RADIOSONDES. EACH OF THESE SITES WILL BE OUT OF SERVICE FOR UP 
TO 2 WEEKS. WHEN RESTORED... PARTS OF THE UPPER AIR CODED 
MESSAGES WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER.

NWS HAS COORDINATED WITH ITS PARTNERS ON THE LONGER LENGTH OF 
THESE MESSAGES.

THE FORMAT OF THE MESSAGES WILL BE THE SAME WMO FORMAT FOR CODED 
UPPER AIR MESSAGES USED WITH THE MICROART LEGACY SYSTEM. THE 
NUMBER OF LEVELS IN THE CODED MESSAGES WILL BE TWO TO THREE 
TIMES GREATER FOR THE TTBB AND TTDD. AS A RESULT TWO CATEGORIES 
OF AWIPS TEXT PRODUCTS WILL INCREASE IN SIZE: SGL AND ABV. THE 
NUMBER OF LEVELS IN THE TTAA...TTCC...PPBB AND PPDD PARTS WILL BE 
RELATIVELY UNCHANGED. THESE CHANGES REFLECT UPDATED CODING 
PRACTICES AND HIGHER RESOLUTION LEVEL SELECTION CRITERIA. THE 
MAXIMUM SIZE LIMITS OF THE PARTS OF THE CODED MESSAGES ARE AS 
FOLLOWS: 

     TTAA:   15 LEVELS  
     TTCC:   10 LEVELS     
     TTBB:  135 LEVELS      
     TTDD:   40 LEVELS 
     PPBB:   40 LEVELS  
     PPDD:   40 LEVELS 

IN ADDITION THE 31313 MESSAGE INDICATOR ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS 
PARTS OF THE MESSAGE WILL BE INCLUDED WITH EACH PART OF THE 
THERMODYNAMIC MESSAGE PARTS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE 
MESSAGE REQUIREMENTS...REFERENCE WMO 306: MANUAL ON CODES:  
INTERNATIONAL CODES: VOLUME 1.1 PART A-ALPHANUMERIC CODES 
AND WMO 306: MANUAL ON CODES: REGIONAL CODES AND NATIONAL 
CODING PRACTICES: VOLUME II. USERS CAN FIND INFORMATION ON THE 
LEVELS SELECTION CRITERIA USED IN NWS CODING SOFTWARE ONLINE AT  
/USE LOWERCASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.UA.NWS.NOAA.GOV

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK...PLEASE CONTACT:

     DOMINIC BOSCO
     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE / OPS11
     1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
     SILVER SPRING MARYLAND 20910
     PHONE: 301-713-1841 EXT. 123 
     E-MAIL: DOMINIC.BOSCO at NOAA.GOV

NWS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT  
/USE LOWER CASE/:

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

$$