VTEC Key Milestones DateActionStatus February 2005 Short-duration VTEC (Five products), initial and final WOU become operational Complete February 2005 Discontinue SLS and SEL products Complete March 2005 WBC, Long Duration Hazard and Routine Marine Products DT&E Complete March 2005 Begin experimental VTEC dissemination at 15 Offices Complete April 2005 WBC, Long Fuse Hazard and Routine Marine Products Training Administered Complete May – June 2005 WBC, Long Fuse Hazard and Routine Marine Products VTEC OT&E In Progress June Issue PNS for Implementation of VTEC for WBC, Long Duration Hazard and Routine Marine Products Low Risk August - October 2005 Begin experimental WBC, Long Duration Hazard and Routine Marine Products VTEC nationwide Low Risk August 2005 Hydro VTEC DT&E Low Risk August 2005 Hydro VTEC Training Administered Low Risk September 2005 Begin experimental hydro VTEC and stand alone MWS dissemination at 4 Offices Low Risk November 2005 WBC, Long Fuse Hazard and Routine Marine VTEC becomes operational Low Risk December 2005 Hydro VTEC OT&E at 16 Offices Moderate Risk April 2006 Hydro and stand-alone MWS VTEC becomes operational Moderate Risk Acronyms Defined: VTEC – Valid Time Event Code PNS – Public Notification Statement WBC – Watch-by-County DT&E – Developmental Test and Evaluation OT&E – Operational Test and Evaluation SLS – State Convective Watch Definition Product SEL – National Convective Watch Definition WOU – Watch Outline Update MWS – Marine Weather Statement

GHG/VTEC OT&E Success Rates(%) Week 1 5/9 – 5/15 Week 2 5/16 – 5/22 Week 3 5/23 – 5/29 Week 4 5/30 – 6/5 Week 5 6/6 – 6/12 Week 6 6/13 – 6/19 Week 7 6/20 – 6/22 Number Issued Overall Success Rate WCN CFW CWF WSW NPW FFA NSH RFW MWS ALL

County vs. Polygon Latitude/Longitude points at the bottom of all TORs, SVRs, FFWs, and SMWs.

Polygon Information in Warnings Today Polygons graphically highlight the area of greatest threat Latitude/longitude vertex points included in all short duration warnings –TOR, SVR, FFW, SMW

The Challenge Dissemination –Many TV Stations not prepared to display polygons Niche market for private sector (e.g., WeatherData) –NOAA All-Hazards Radio Technical limitation: location is based only on county New generation of NWR needs to allow users to input either lat/long or nearest city to take advantage of polygon technology