[nws-changes] 20131017: WAFS Fwd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [nws-changes] 20131017: WAFS Fwd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 09:03:20 -0600

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

499
NOUS41 KWBC 171257
PNSWSH

Service Change Notice 13-52
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
858 AM Thu EDT Oct 17 2013

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

From:      Cynthia Abelman
           Chief, Aviation Services Branch

Subject:  Introduction of World Area Forecast System (WAFS)
          Upper Air Forecasts for FL410 (175 mb) effective
          November 5, 2013

Effective Tuesday, November 5, 2013, at 1200 Coordinated
Universal Time (UTC), the NWS will introduce FL410 (Flight
level 41,000 ft) temperature, geopotential height, and wind
(u and v component of wind) to the WAFS Upper Air data set.

This additional data is being implemented in accordance with the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) WAFS Operations
Group seventh meeting.

This change will use the following new WMO Headers:

                                     WMO
   Weather Element                  Header
---------------------           -----------
175 mb (FL410) Height            YHX*18 KWBC
175 mb (FL410) Temperature       YTX*18 KWBC
175 mb (FL410) U Wind            YUX*18 KWBC
175 mb (FL410) V Wind            YVX*18 KWBC

Where  * is replaced with a letter referencing the
forecast valid time from issuance
* =   C - 06 hour forecast
* =   D - 09 hour forecast
* =   E - 12 hour forecast
* =   F - 15 hour forecast
* =   G - 18 hour forecast
* =   H - 21 hour forecast
* =   I - 24 hour forecast
* =   J - 27 hour forecast
* =   K - 30 hour forecast
* =   L - 33 hour forecast
* =   M - 36 hour forecast

In support of the World Area Forecast System, the NWS (WAFC)
Washington provides global gridded forecasts of upper wind and
temperature data covering Flight Levels FL050-530, tropopause
heights and temperature, maximum wind (height, speed, direction),
turbulence, icing, and cumulonimbus clouds based on output from
the Global Forecast System Numerical Weather Model. This data can
be used in flight planning systems to optimize flights routes or
to generate a range of charts, such and wind and temperature
charts, cross sections, etc.

The aforementioned gridded products are produced four times
daily, and are available in GRIB2 format on the WAFS Internet
File System (WIFS). WIFS is available to registered users at:

http://www.aviationweather.gov/wifs/

Due to the government shutdown, this notice is being sent with
less than the required notification time. NWS does not have the
ability to change the effective date of this WAFC change.

For technical questions, and support in registering a user
account at the WIFS website, or downloading and accessing the
GRIB2 data, contact:

Ryan Solomon
Aviation Weather Center
Kansas City, MO 64153
Phone: 816-584-72048
Email: ryan.l.Solomon@xxxxxxxx

If you have any questions about this change, or the WAFS Global
Grids data set, please contact:

Matt Strahan
Chief, International Operations Branch
Aviation Weather Center/WAFC Washington
Kansas City, MO 64153
Phone: 816-584-7204
Email: matt.strahan@xxxxxxxx

National Technical Implementation Notices are online at:

      http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm

$$