951016: Metar test-NOUS41 KWBC (fwd)

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 951016: Metar test-NOUS41 KWBC (fwd)
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 14:24:22 -0600 (MDT)

598 
NOUS41 KWBC 161735
PNSNMC

NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION MESSAGE (NTIM) 95-44
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS
200 PM EDT MON OCT 16 1995

TO:         USERS OF NWS PRODUCTS RECEIVED FROM THE NATIONAL
            WEATHER SERVICE TELECOMMUNICATION GATEWAY

FROM:       JOE BOCCHIERI
            CHIEF SERVICES EVALUATION BRANCH

SUBJECT:    NWS METAR/TAF PROJECT AND PRODUCT INFORMATION

REFERENCE:  NTIM 95-32 DATED AUGUST 28 1995
            NTIM 95-33 DATED SEPTEMBER 6 1995

(THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY HOWARD
DIAMOND...OFFICE OF SYSTEMS OPERATIONS)

NOTE TO NWWS USERS:  THE FOLLOWING NOTICE WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON
NWWS USERS AND IS BEING PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATION.  

BEGINNING ON OCTOBER 16 1995 A COLLECTIVE OF TEST METAR DATA (IN
THE 1996 METAR FORMAT) FROM THE FIRST 6 NWS ASOS STATIONS
PARTICIPATING IN SOFTWARE TESTS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE.  THOSE 6
STATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:  CONCORD, NH (CON); ATHENS, GA (AHN);
MIAMI, FL (MIA); BISMARCK, ND (BIS); NORTH PLATTE, NE (LBF); AND
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (SFO).  THE WMO HEADER FOR THAT COLLECTIVE IS
SXUS81 KWBC.  

THE TEST METAR MESSAGES IN THIS COLLECTIVE WILL HAVE EITHER
"TESTM" OR "TESTS" IN THE FIRST FIELD TO INDICATE THAT THESE ARE
EITHER TEST METAR OR TEST SPECIAL MESSAGES.  ONCE FULLY
IMPLEMENTED IN JUNE 1996, THIS FIRST FIELD WILL CHANGE TO EITHER
"METAR" OR "SPECI" AT COMMISSIONED SITES TO INDICATE THAT THEY
ARE THE OFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS FROM A SITE. 

THIS COLLECTIVE WILL BE CREATED FROM 6 INDIVIDUAL FIELD GENERATED
PRODUCTS (WITH MORE TO FOLLOW IN THE FUTURE) IN THE AFOS PIL
FORMAT CCCMTTXXX (REFERENCE AFOS CHANGE NOTICE 1072B SENT ON
10/16/95).  THE INDIVIDUAL OBSERVATIONS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO
AFOS USERS.  ALL OTHER USERS WILL ONLY HAVE ACCESS TO THE
COLLECTIVE...WHICH WILL BE CONSTRUCTED FROM THE INDIVIDUAL
OBSERVATIONS.  

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE PRODUCTS OR THE OVERALL NWS
METAR/TAF PROJECT IN GENERAL PLEASE CONTACT HOWARD DIAMOND NWS
METAR/TAF IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER AT (301) 713-0436 EXT. 121 OR
VIA E-MAIL AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

HDIAMOND@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

IN ADDITION A NEW METAR/TAF HOME PAGE IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE
WORLD WIDE WEB TO ASSIST IN THE DISSEMINATION OF METAR/TAF
INFORMATION.  IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION BUT IT DOES
CONTAIN SOME TECHNICAL AIDS IN WORD PERFECT 5.1 FORMAT THAT USERS
MAY FIND HELPFUL.  UPDATES TO THESE AIDS WILL BE NOTED ON THE
HOME PAGE AS THEY OCCUR.  THE HOME PAGE ADDRESS IS AS FOLLOWS:  

HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OSO/OSO1/OSO12/METAR.HTM

END