NOUS41 KWBC 071826
PNSWSH

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 06-54
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
228 PM EDT MON AUG 7 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:     GLENN AUSTIN
          DIGITAL SERVICES TRANSITION MANAGER
          OFFICE OF CLIMATE WATER AND WEATHER SERVICES

SUBJECT:  FORECASTS FOR ALASKA ADDED TO THE NATIONAL
          DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE /NDFD/ IN EXPERIMENTAL 
          STATUS ON SEPTEMBER 6 2006 AT 1400 UTC

ON SEPTEMBER 6 2006 AT 1400 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME /UTC/... 
SIX ELEMENTS FOR ALASKA WILL BE ADDED TO NDFD IN EXPERIMENTAL 
STATUS:

   MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE          WIND DIRECTION
   MINIMUM TEMPERATURE          WIND SPEED
   12-HOUR PROBABILITY OF       SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT
      PRECIPITATION /POP12/

THESE ELEMENTS FOR ALASKA WILL BE AVAILABLE AT 6 /SIX/ KILOMETER 
SPATIAL RESOLUTION.  NOTE: ALL OTHER FORECASTS IN NDFD FOR ALL 
OTHER DOMAINS ARE AVAILABLE AT 5 /FIVE/ KILOMETER SPATIAL 
RESOLUTION.

ADDING THIS FIRST SET OF ELEMENTS FOR ALASKA IS A SIGNIFICANT 
MILESTONE FOR THE NDFD...MAKING HIGH-RESOLUTION GRIDDED DATA 
AVAILABLE FOR ALL PARTS OF THE U.S. FOR THE FIRST TIME.  UNTIL 
NOW THE NDFD ONLY INCLUDED FORECASTS FOR THE LOWER 48 
STATES...PUERTO RICO...HAWAII...AND GUAM. MORE EXPERIMENTAL 
ELEMENTS FOR ALASKA WILL BE ADDED TO NDFD IN THE FUTURE.

USERS WHO PULL NDFD ELEMENTS IN GRIDDED BINARY /GRIB2/ FORMAT 
FROM THE NWS ANONYMOUS FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL /FTP/ 
SERVER...EITHER VIA THE INTERNET OR VIA THE FAMILY OF SERVICES 
SERVER ACCESS SERVICE...MAY NEED TO UPDATE THEIR PROCEDURES 
AND/OR SCRIPTS IF THEY WANT TO ACCESS THESE FORECASTS FOR 
ALASKA. DETAILED INFORMATION FOR FTP AND OTHER USERS REGARDING 
THIS CHANGE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NDFD/OPER_IMPLEM_AK_SEPT6.HTM

MORE DETAILS REGARDING THESE ELEMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED IN A 
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT /PDD/ PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE 
EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD. AT THAT TIME...THE PDD WILL BE FOUND ONLINE 
AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://PRODUCTS.WEATHER.GOV/VIEWLISTE.PHP

IF SEPTEMBER 6 2006 IS A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY...THIS 
IMPLEMENTATION MAY BE POSTPONED. IN THAT CASE USERS WILL BE 
NOTIFIED OF THAT DECISION AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS POSSIBLE.

THESE FORECAST ELEMENTS WILL REMAIN EXPERIMENTAL UNTIL ALL 
FEEDBACK IS ASSESSED AND A TECHNICAL ANALYSIS IS COMPLETED. AT 
THAT TIME THE NWS WILL DETERMINE WHETHER TO TRANSITION THESE 
EXPERIMENTAL ELEMENTS FOR ALASKA TO OPERATIONAL STATUS... 
DISCONTINUE THEM...OR REVISE AND RETAIN THEM AS AN EXPERIMENTAL 
ELEMENT/S/.
COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK ON THE EXPERIMENTAL ELEMENTS FOR ALASKA 
WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH APRIL 6 2007.  LINKS TO ONLINE SURVEYS 
ARE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
GRIB2 USERS: 
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SURVEY/NWS-SURVEY.PHP?CODE=NDFD-GRIDS

FOR USERS OF NDFD GRAPHICS:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SURVEY/NWS-SURVEY.PHP?CODE=EGF

FOR USERS OF XML SOAP SERVICE:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SURVEY/NWS-SURVEY.PHP?CODE=XMLSOAP

FOR GENERAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE NDFD...PLEASE EMAIL:

     NWS.NDFD@NOAA.GOV

FOR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE NDFD DATA... CONTACT:

     DAVID RUTH
     CHIEF...MESOSCALE PREDICTION BRANCH
     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
     OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
     1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
     SILVER SPRING MARYLAND 20910
     EMAIL:  DAVID.RUTH@NOAA.GOV

FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE OR ABOUT NDFD IN ALASKA... 
PLEASE CONTACT:

     DUANE CARPENTER
     NWS ALASKA REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS
     222 WEST 7TH AVE BOX 23
     ANCHORAGE ALASKA 99513-7575
     EMAIL: DUANE.CARPENTER@NOAA.GOV

THIS AND ALL OTHER NWS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE 
AVAILABLE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM

$$
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