VTEC Status

1
VTECStatus Plan for Action

• National Partners Workshop
• January 15, 2004
• Dr. Jason Tuell
• Office of Science and Technology

2
Overview

• Objective
• Background
• Current status
• Actions since the September Partners conference
• Schedule
• Changes to the VTEC specification
• Interaction with partners
• Summary

3
Objective

• Implement the Valid Time Event Code in NWS Watch,
  Warning and Advisory products
• Improve interpretation and accessibility of
  critical NWS products
• Reduce errors in critical NWS products
• Improve end-to-end tracking of products
  associated with specific meteorological and
  hydrological events

4
Background

• VTEC implemented in AWIPS OB2 software
• VTEC was scheduled to be turned on 2 December
  2003 for some locally generated watches and
  warnings
• Partners conference call held 27 August to
  discuss status of 2 December implementation
• Consensus to slip VTEC implementation
• Consensus to slip implementation confirmed at 11
  September Partners meeting

5
Current Status

• VTEC specification updated to address
  shortcomings identified during Watch-by-County
  and internal testing
• Revised specification in internal review
• Partners VTEC working group integral part of
  specification revision
• Software developers tasked to implement revised
  specification
• Some development risk if changes to specification
  occur during review cycle

6
Schedule
Date Action
30 January 2004 Revised NWSI 10-1703 in coordination
13 February 2004 Initial PNS on new schedule and specification
November 2003 March 2004 Software development and DTE
1 March 2004 Deliver software for OB3.1
1 April 2004 Release OB3.1
1 June 2004 Deliver VTEC related training to WFOs
1 July 15 August 2004 OTE
1 September 2004 OTE draft assessment complete
1 October 2004 Joint go/no go decision on turn key, issue final PNS
15 October 2004 Deploy software corrections from OTE
15 October 1 November 2004 Re-test corrections of OTE related deficiencies
1 December 2004 VTEC turn key for locally generated products
January 2005 Turn key Watch by County
Hurricane season 2005 Deliver VTEC in hurricane products
7
VTEC changes

• First letter prefix to classify type of products
• o operational
• t test
• e experimental
• x operational with experimental VTEC string

8
Locally generated products
Public Products
Severe Thunderstorm Warning SVR
Tornado Warning TOR
Winter Storm products WSW
Non-Precipitation products NPW
Severe Weather Statement SVS
Watch County Notification WCN
Hydro Products
Flood Watch FFA
Flash Flood Warning FFW
Flood Warning FLW
Flash Flood Statements FFS
Flood Statements FLS
9
Locally Generated Products
Marine Products
Coastal Waters Forecast CWF
Nearshore Waters Forecast NSH
Open Lakes Forecast GLF
Offshore Waters Forecast OFF
Special Marine Warning SMW
Marine Weather Statements MWS
Coastal Flood products CFW
Lakeshore Flood products CFW
10
Partner-NWS Interaction

• Herb White
• Dissemination Services Manager
• Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services

11
Partner InteractionOTE

• Our goal Joint OTE of locally generated
  products
• Test NWS and partners capabilities
• Work together to build an OTE plan
• Need to accommodate full spectrum of products
  during OTE
• Define evaluation criteria
• Joint data collection for error monitoring

12
Partner Interaction

• Must ensure adequate feedback on VTEC and other
  issues
• Participation in OTE is critical as learned in
  WBC
• Planning and execution
• VTEC working groups has had made a tremendous
  contribution to refining and clarifying the VTEC
  specification
• VTEC listserve/remailer to disseminate and share
  VTEC related information
• Send comments to NWS.VTEC_at_noaa.gov

13
Summary

• Consensus to not implement VTEC on 2 December
  2003
• Have worked with the partners to define new
  schedule and enhanced specification
• Conduct joint OTE to determine whether we are
  jointly ready for VTEC December 2004

Work together to make VTEC a success!