20040219: VTEC

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 20040219: VTEC
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 12:09:11 -0700

NOUS41 KWBC 131835
PNSWSH

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
140 PM EST FRI FEB 13 2004

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...AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM      ROBERT MCLEOD
         CHIEF... AWARENESS BRANCH
         NWS OFFICE OF CLIMATE...WATER AND WEATHER SERVICES

SUBJECT   VALID TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/ UPDATE 2/13/04

THIS MESSAGE IS PART OF A SERIES OF UPDATE MESSAGES TO INFORM NWS
PARTNERS AND CUSTOMERS OF NEW INFORMATION REGARDING THE VALID
TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/ PLANNING... TESTING AND IMPLEMENTATION.
VTEC INFORMATION IS POSTED ON THE NWS WEB SITE AT /USE LOWER
CASE/:

    HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/VTEC/

THE VTEC WEB SITE HAS BEEN REVISED AND UPDATED TO NOW INCLUDE THE
JANUARY 30 2004 DRAFT OF THE NWS INSTRUCTION /NWSI/ 10-1703 FOR
VTEC AND A SHORT LIST OF MILESTONES LEADING UP TO THE SCHEDULED
DECEMBER 1 2004 IMPLEMENTATION OF VTEC IN NWS PRODUCTS PRODUCED
AT WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES.  A VTEC OPERATIONAL TEST AND
EVALUATION /OTE/ IS SCHEDULED DURING JULY AND AUGUST 2004 WITH
OPPORTUNITY FOR NWS PARTNER AND CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION.

FUTURE UPDATES TO THE VTEC WEB SITE WILL INCLUDE THE VTEC OTE
PLAN... TEXT VERSIONS OF SAMPLE PRODUCT ISSUANCES WITH VTEC
STRINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF THE VTEC STRINGS.

BACKGROUND... IMPLEMENTATION OF VTEC WAS DELAYED UNTIL DECEMBER
2004 AFTER CONSULTATION IN AUGUST 2003 WITH THE NWS PARTNERS
WORKING WITH US ON VTEC IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES.  A CONSENSUS WAS
REACHED THAT TOO MUCH RISK EXISTED WITH A DECEMBER 2003
IMPLEMENTATION.  VTEC WILL ENABLE WEATHER PROVIDERS AND VENDORS
TO AUTOMATE AND TAILOR THE PRODUCT STREAM DELIVERED TO THEIR
CLIENTS AND ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO SELECT THE SPECIFIC MESSAGE TYPES
THEY WANT TO RECEIVE. VTEC WILL HELP IMPROVE AUTOMATED
DISSEMINATION OF WEATHER INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH A
MYRIAD OF METHODS... SUCH AS PAGING SYSTEMS AND TELEVISION
MESSAGE CRAWL SYSTEMS USED TO RELAY URGENT SEVERE WEATHER AND
FLASH FLOOD INFORMATION.  MOST EVENT-DRIVEN PRODUCTS THAT INCLUDE
THE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/ WILL INCLUDE THE VTEC.

WE WILL USE COMMENTS RECEIVED BY EMAIL IN VTEC DEVELOPMENT...
TESTING... AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING AND EXECUTION.  TO COMMENT
ON VTEC... PLEASE SEND AN E-MAIL TO NWS.VTEC@xxxxxxxx /USE LOWER
CASE/.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR SERVICES AND PLANNING EFFORTS.

THE NEXT VTEC UPDATE MESSAGE IS PLANNED NEAR THE END OF MARCH
2004.

END
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