NOUS41 KWBC 051826
PNSWSH

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 06-60
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
226 PM EDT TUE SEP 5 2006

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:      GLENN AUSTIN
           DIGITAL SERVICES TRANSITION MANAGER
           OFFICE OF CLIMATE WATER AND WEATHER SERVICES

SUBJECT:   NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE /NDFD/
           ELEMENT FILES TO BE SPLIT INTO SMALLER FILES ON 
           SEPTEMBER 6 2006 /SEPTEMBER 7 LOCAL GUAM TIME/... 
           REMINDER AND SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WILL 
           HAPPEN BETWEEN 1300 AND 1400 UTC ON IMPLEMENTATION DAY

REFER TO:  TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE /TIN/ 06-39...
           SENT ON JUNE 9 2006...SIMILAR SUBJECT REGARDING 
           THE SAME IMPLEMENTATION
                   AND
           TIN 06-30: SENT ON MAY 9 2006. SIMILAR SUBJECT 
           REGARDING THE SAME IMPLEMENTATION

ON WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 6 2006 AT 1400 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME 
/UTC/ OR MIDNIGHT LOCAL SEPTEMBER 7 LOCAL GUAM TIME...ALL NDFD 
ELEMENT FILES IN GRIDDED BINARY /GRIB2/ FORMAT FOR ALL DOMAINS 
WILL BE SPLIT INTO SMALLER FILES. FILES CONTAINING FORECASTS FOR 
DAYS 1 THROUGH 3 WILL BE SEPARATE FROM FILES COVERING DAYS 4 
THROUGH 7. OPERATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL NDFD ELEMENTS FOR ALL 
DOMAINS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE. REFER TO TIN 06-39 AND 
TIN 06-30 FOR A BROADER DESCRIPTION OF THIS IMPLEMENTATION.  

THIS CHANGE PRIMARILY IMPACTS USERS WHO ACCESS THE NDFD FILES IN 
GRIB2 VIA FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL /FTP/. USERS OF THE NDFD GRAPHICS 
AND NDFD VIA EXTENSIBLE MARKUP LANGUAGE /XML/ SHOULD NOT NOTICE 
ANY INTERRUPTION IN SERVICE.

FTP USERS MAY NOTICE NDFD GRIB2 FILES ARE TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE 
AFTER THE 1300 UTC NDFD GRIB2 FILES ARE POSTED TO THE NDFD FTP 
SERVER AND BEFORE THE 1400 UTC FILES ARE POSTED. BETWEEN 1300 AND 
1400 UTC...ALL THE NDFD GRIB2 FILES VALID FOR 1300 UTC WILL BE 
REMOVED FROM THE ORIGINAL DIRECTORIES BEFORE THE NEW 1400 UTC 
FILES ARE POSTED IN THE NEW DIRECTORIES. USERS DOWNLOADING NDFD 
FILES BETWEEN 1300 AND 1400 UTC MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE A 
COMPLETE SET OF NDFD FILES UNTIL ALL THE 1400 UTC FILES ARE POSTED 
IN THE NEW DIRECTORIES ON THE USUAL SCHEDULE.  WE APOLOGIZE FOR 
THE ONE-TIME INCONVENIENCE.

THE WEB PAGE PROVIDING DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT...AND BENEFITS 
OF...THIS CHANGE FOR FTP...GRAPHICS...AND XML USERS HAS ALSO BEEN 
UPDATED AND CAN BE FOUND ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

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

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

IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE DATA IN NDFD... 
PLEASE 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

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE...PLEASE CONTACT:

     CHRIS ALEX
     DIGITAL SERVICES
     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
     OFFICE OF CLIMATE...WATER...AND WEATHER SERVICES
     1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
     SILVER SPRING MARYLAND 20910
     EMAIL:  CHRISTINE.ALEX@NOAA.GOV

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

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

$$
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