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PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 06-03
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
125 PM EST TUE JAN 24 2006

TO:	  FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA 
          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:     THERESE Z. PIERCE
          CHIEF...MARINE AND COASTAL SERVICES BRANCH

SUBJECT:  NEW PRODUCTS FOR UNITED STATES AIR FORCE HIGH                       
          DENSITY OBSERVATION DATA FROM TROPICAL CYCLONE 
          WC-130J RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT: EFFECTIVE ON OR AFTER 
          JUNE 1 2006 

THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS NOW USING WC-130J AIRCRAFT AS ITS 
FLEET OF HURRICANE HUNTER PLANES...REPLACING THE OLDER WC-130H 
AIRCRAFT FOR THIS MISSION. THE ENHANCED CAPABILITY OFFERED BY 
THE WC-130J IS COLLECTION AND TRANSMISSION OF HIGH DENSITY/HIGH 
ACCURACY DATA COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS HIGH DENSITY 
OBSERVATIONS /HDOB/.

ON OR AFTER JUNE 1 2006...THE TROPICAL PREDICTION 
CENTER/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER /NHC/ WILL BEGIN ISSUANCE OF 
THREE NEW PRODUCTS FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF AIR FORCE HDOB.

CURRENTLY...AS A TEMPORARY MEANS OF DISSEMINATION...THIS DATA IS 
ROUTED VIA THE NWS FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SXXX50 MESSAGE.  

ONCE INTRODUCED THE NEW PRODUCTS WILL SERVE AS THE PRIMARY MEANS 
OF DISSEMINATION FOR AIR FORCE HDOB DATA. USERS WHO WISH TO 
CONTINUE RECEIVING THIS DATA WILL NEED TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING 
CHANGES IN THEIR WMO COMMUNICATIONS DATABASES:

FOR THE ATLANTIC:
PRODUCT NAME				WMO HEADING/ACTION
AIRCRAFT HIGH DENSITY OBSERVATIONS	URNT15 KNHC/ADD

FOR THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL PACIFIC:
PRODUCT NAME				WMO HEADING/ACTION
AIRCRAFT HIGH DENSITY OBSERVATIONS	URPN15 KNHC/ADD

FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC:
PRODUCT NAME				WMO HEADING/ACTION
AIRCRAFT HIGH DENSITY OBSERVATIONS	URPA15 KNHC/ADD

THESE NEW PRODUCTS WILL BE PROVIDED ON THE FOS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS 
WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/...NOAAPORT...AND NOAA WEATHER 
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/.

HDOB MESSAGE FORMATS ARE PROVIDED IN NATIONAL HURRICANE OPERATIONS 
PLAN /NHOP/ APPENDIX G. THE NHOP IS PROVIDED ONLINE AT /USE LOWER 
CASE LETTERS/:

HTTP://WWW.OFCM.GOV

THE 2005 NHOP IS NOW POSTED ON THE INTERNET AND THE 2006 NHOP WILL 
BE POSTED BY JUNE 1 2006.

PLEASE NOTE 2006 WILL BE A TRANSITION YEAR. USERS WISHING TO ENSURE 
THEY RECEIVE ALL AIR FORCE HDOB DATA IN 2006 MUST MAKE THE ABOVE 
ADDITIONS TO THEIR WMO COMMUNICATIONS DATABASES AND CONTINUE TO 
MONITOR THE SXXX50 PRODUCT. BY 2007 WE EXPECT ALL AIR FORCE HDOB 
DATA WILL BE TRANSMITTED PRIMARILY VIA ONE OF THE THREE WMO HEADINGS 
ABOVE...AND NO AIR FORCE HDOB DATA WILL BE DISSEMINATED VIA THE 
SXXX50 PRODUCT. THESE DETAILS WILL BE PROVIDED IN AN EARLY 2007 
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT.
                       
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...PLEASE CONTACT

     TIMOTHY SCHOTT
     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
     MARINE AND COASTAL SERVICES BRANCH
     1325 EAST WEST HWY ROOM 13126
     SILVER SPRING MARYLAND 20910
     PHONE: 301-713-1677 EXTENSION 122

THIS NOTICE AND OTHER SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES CAN BE FOUND ONLINE 
AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF/HTM

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