951201: METAR- (fwd)

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 951201: METAR- (fwd)
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 08:25:46 -0700 (MST)

ZCZC WSHPNSNMC ALL
NOUS41 KWBC 271322

NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION MESSAGE (NTIM) 95-52
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS
0815 AM EDT MON NOV 27 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
            NTIM 95-44 DATED OCTOBER 16 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 NOVEMBER 27 1995 THE COLLECTIVE OF TEST METAR DATA
(WMO HEADER - SXUS81 KWBC) WILL BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE 4 NEW NWS
ASOS STATIONS.  THE 4 NEW SITES ARE:  ALBUQUERQUE, NM (ABQ);
ANCHORAGE, AK (ANC); FARGO, ND (FAR); AND SALT LAKE CITY, UT
(SLC).  

THESE STATIONS ARE IN ADDITION TO THE FIRST 6 NWS ASOS STATIONS
IN THAT COLLECTIVE THAT WERE DOCUMENTED IN NTIM 95-44.  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 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 10 INDIVIDUAL FIELD
GENERATED PRODUCTS (WITH MORE TO FOLLOW IN THE FUTURE) IN THE
AFOS PIL FORMAT CCCMTTXXX (REFERENCE AFOS CHANGE NOTICES 1100
SENT ON 10/16/95; AND AFOS CHANGE NOTICE 1117 SENT ON 11/17/95). 
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 AND OTHER
INFORMATION 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
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