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NOUS41 KWBC 181800
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT 25-48
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS SILVER SPRING MD
200 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 2025
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
-NOAAPORT
OTHER NWS PARTNERS, USERS AND EMPLOYEES
FROM: MARY MULLUSKY, CHIEF
FORECAST SERVICES DIVISION
SUBJECT: USE OF SINGULAR VALID TIME EVENT CODE (VTEC) FOR NWS
FREEZING SPRAY EFFECTIVE JULY 17, 2025
EFFECTIVE THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2025, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
(NWS) REMOVED AN ERRANT VALID TIME EVENT CODE (VTEC)CODE “ZY”
FROM THE OPERATIONAL SUITE OF VTEC CODES. THIS WILL ENSURE
THAT THE ONLY VTEC PHENOMENON CODE ASSOCIATED WITH FREEZING
SPRAY WATCH, WARNING, AND ADVISORY IS THE CODE “UP.”
THE JULY 17TH UPDATE TO CAPHANDLER REMOVED THE ERRANT VTEC CODE
“ZY”. THE CODE “ZY” WAS ALREADY OBSOLETE; HOWEVER, NWS
PARTNERS
AND USERS SHOULD ENSURE THAT THEIR SYSTEMS ONLY USE THE VTEC
CODE “UP” FOR THE VTEC EVENTS LISTED IN TABLE 1 BELOW.
TABLE 1: VTEC PHENOMENON CODES FOR NWS FREEZING SPRAY VTEC
EVENTS
VTEC PHENOMENON CODE VTEC EVENT
-------------------- --------------------------
UP FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORY
UP HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WATCH
UP HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING
NWS INSTRUCTION 10-1703 WILL ALSO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT THE
REMOVAL OF THE ERRANT “ZY” VTEC PHENOMENA CODE AND THE TERM
“HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORY,” SHOWN IN TABLE 2, WHICH IS ALSO
NOT IN USE.
TABLE 2: ERRANT VTEC PHENOMENON CODE TO BE REMOVED:
VTEC PHENOMENON CODE VTEC EVENT
-------------------- -----------------------------
ZY HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORY
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VTEC CODES CAN BE FOUND AT
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MEDIA/VTEC/VTEC_EXPLANATION_VER9.PDF
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS CHANGE, PLEASE
CONTACT:
DON RINKER
WEATHER INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
DONALD.RINKER@NOAA.GOV
OR
MELINDA BAILEY
MARINE WEATHER SERVICES PROGRAM MANAGER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
MELINDA.BAILEY@NOAA.GOV
NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NOTIFICATION/
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