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NATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE FOR NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
440 PM EST MON FEB 28 2000

TO        NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS

FROM      JACK KELLY...DIRECTOR...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

SUBJECT   WEATHER INFORMATION DISSEMINATION SYSTEMS

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RELIES ON ITS PARTNERS IN EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AND THE MEDIA TO KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE.  EMERGENCY
MANAGERS AND THE MEDIA HAVE TIMELY ACCESS TO SEVERE WEATHER
INFORMATION THROUGH SYSTEMS INCLUDING THE NOAA WEATHER WIRE
SERVICE...EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK...
INTERACTIVE WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK...NOAAPORT...FAMILY OF
SERVICE AND A VARIETY OF COMMERCIAL WEATHER INFORMATION VENDORS. 
FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THESE SERVICES...INCLUDING
INTERNET ADDRESSES...TO HELP YOU MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT
WHAT DISSEMINATION SERVICE IS BEST FOR YOU. THIS INFORMATION AND
A MORE EXTENSIVE SUMMARY INCLUDING TYPE OF DATA...FORMAT...COSTS
RELIABILITY...SPEED...NEEDED EQUIPMENT...HOW TO OBTAIN SERVICE
AND A POINT OF CONTACT IS POSTED AT HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/ ALL
LOWER CASE LETTERS.  SCROLL DOWN AND LOOK FOR THE NEW NWWS LINK
NEAR THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER.

WEATHER INFORMATION DISSEMINATION SYSTEMS:

NOAA WEATHER WIRE

ONE OPTION IS TO CONTACT DYNCORP AT (800) 633-2340.  INFORMATION
CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON THEIR WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHERWIRE.NET. 
THEY ARE OFFERING THREE OPTIONS FOR RECEIVING WEATHER WIRE
PRODUCTS:  C-BAND...KU-BAND...OR INTERNET SERVICE. IF YOU WANT
SERVICE MOST EQUIVALENT TO WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE CURRENT
NWWS...THEN THE C-BAND OPTION IS APPROPRIATE. THE BENEFITS AND
COSTS OF EACH OPTION ARE EXPLAINED ON THE WEB SITE. DYNCORP IS
NOW ALSO OFFERING SPECIAL FINANCING PLANS TO USERS WHO WISH TO
PURCHASE WEATHER WIRE RECEIVING EQUIPMENT FROM THEM. 

EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK (EMWIN)

PURCHASE AN EMWIN FROM ONE OF THE VENDORS LISTED ON THE FOLLOWING
WEB SITE: HTTP://IWIN.NWS.NOAA.GOV/EMWIN/INDEX.HTM  THESE SYSTEMS
OFFER AN ECONOMICAL WAY TO RECEIVE PRODUCTS AVAILABLE ON THE
NWWS...ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT BE QUITE AS RELIABLE OR  TIMELY.  FOR
MORE INFORMATION...CONTACT MR. KEN BASHFORD AT 301) 713-0386
X102. 

INTERACTIVE WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK (IWIN)

IWIN IS AN INTERNET SITE WITH LIVE DATA VERY SIMILAR TO EMWIN
DATA.  IT IS OPEN TO ANY AND ALL USERS AND CONTAINS LIVE WARNINGS
IN ADDITION TO MANY ROUTINE CATEGORIES OF NWS PRODUCTS.  IT
DEPENDS ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE INTERNET WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS
POSSIBLE DURING MAJOR WEATHER EVENTS DUE TO CONNECTION PROBLEMS
EITHER AT THE USER END OR AT NOAA/NWS DUE TO CURRENT INTERNET
BANDWIDTH LIMITATIONS.  THE TYPES OF DATA INCLUDE ALL STANDARD
WARNINGS...WATCHES...ADVISORIES...AND ROUTINE DATA INCLUDING
STATE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECASTS (NOWCASTS)...ZONE
FORECASTS AND MOST ROUTINE NWS PRODUCTS.  COST TO USER IS NORMAL
ACCESS TO A PERSONAL COMPUTER AND ACCESS TO INTERNET.  THE
SERVICE ITSELF IS FREE. IWIN CAN BE VIEWED AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV
CONTACT KEN BASHFORD AT KENNETH.BASHFORD@NOAA.GOV.

NOAAPORT

PURCHASE OR LEASE A NOAAPORT SATELLITE BROADCAST RECEIVER.  THE
NOAAPORT WEB SITE INCLUDES A TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE
SYSTEM...SAMPLE PRODUCTS...A LIST OF EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS...
AND NWS CONTACTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.  FOR MORE INFORMATION
...CONTACT MS. JULIE HAYES AT (301) 713-1741 EXT. 205 OR
JULIE.HAYES@NOAA.GOV. 

FAMILY OF SERVICES

OBTAIN ACCESS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'S FAMILY OF
SERVICES  PUBLIC PRODUCT SERVICE (PPS)...WHICH DISSEMINATES ALL
PUBLIC WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND OTHER METEOROLOGICAL PRODUCTS
WHICH ARE FOUND IN THE NWWS DATA STREAM.  THE SERVICE IS
ACCESSIBLE VIA DEDICATED TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINES IN THE
WASHINGTON...D.C. AREA. FOR MORE INFORMATION...CONTACT MS. JULIE
HAYES AT (301) 713-1741 EXT. 205 OR JULIE.HAYES@NOAA.GOV. 

PRIVATE COMMERCIAL INFORMATION VENDORS 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDUSTRIAL METEOROLOGY WEB SITE
PROVIDES LINKS TO PRIVATE WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDER HOME PAGES AS
WELL AS A DIRECTORY OF PRIVATE WEATHER SERVICES ORGANIZED BY
STATE.  FOR MORE INFORMATION...CONTACT THE IM STAFF AT PHONE:
(301) 713-0258 OR SEE HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/IM. 

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