Valid Time Event Coding (VTEC) is a new code string which will be used in many NWS event-driven text products (and in routine marine forecasts) to describe the parameters of Watch/Warning/Advisory (W/W/A) events explicitly. This new code form was requested by NWS partners and customers with whom the development, testing, and implementation have been coordinated.
Customers say they desire VTEC code because it contains all necessary W/W/A information in an easy-to-decode, uniform format. This NWS-wide consistency allows our partners to develop dissemination software to relay the information contained in the VTEC code. Therefore, VTEC will automate the delivery of NWS W/W/A information to our customers and partners, allowing them to relay it more quickly to their customers (i.e., the public).
/k.aaa.cccc.pp.s.####.yymmddThhnnZB-yymmddThhnnZE/
See if you can decode this line:
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.A.0002.051013T1424Z-051013T1700Z/
or this one:
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.A.0002.000000T0000Z-051013T1700Z/
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P-VTEC String |
Event Group k - Product Class (O, T, E, X) aaa - Action (NEW, CON, EXT, EXA, EXB, UPG, CAN, EXP, COR, ROU) cccc - Office ID pp - Phenomena (e.g., FL, FF - see table) s - Significance (W, A, Y, S) #### - Event Tracking Number (ETN) |
Date/Time Group yymmddThhnnZB - Event Beginning Date/Time yymmddThhnnZE - Event Ending Date/Time |
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yy - year mm - month dd - day T - fixed time indicator |
hh - hour nn - minute Z - fixed UTC indicator |
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Product (k) class |
O Operational product T Test product |
E Experimental product X Experimental VTEC in Operational product |
Phenomena (pp) |
BZ Blizzard WS Winter Storm WW Winter Weather SN Snow HS Heavy Snow LE Lake Effect Snow BS Blowing/Drifting Snow SB Snow & Blowing Snow IP Sleet HP Heavy Sleet ZR Freezing Rain IS Ice Storm FZ Freeze ZF Freezing Fog FR Frost WC Wind Chill EC Extreme Cold |
WI Wind HW High Wind LW FG Dense Fog SM Dense Smoke HT Heat EH Excessive Heat DU Blowing Dust DS Dust Storm FL Flood FF Flash Flood SV Severe Thunderstorm TO Tornado FW Fire Weather RH Radiological Hazard VO Volcano AF Volcanic Ashfall AS Air Stagnation |
AV Avalanche TS Tsunami MA Marine SC Small Craft GL Gale SR Storm HF Hurricane Force Wind TR Tropical Storm HU Hurricane TY Typhoon TI Inland Tropical Storm Wind HI Inland Hurricane Wind LS Lakeshore Flood CF Coastal Flood UP Ice Accretion LO Low Water SU High Surf |
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Actions (aaa) |
NEW New event CON Event continued EXT Event extended (time) EXA Event extended (area) EXB Event extended (both time and area) |
UPG Event upgraded CAN Event cancelled EXP Event expired COR Correction ROU Routine |
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Significance (s) |
W Warning A Watch |
Y Advisory S Statement |
H-VTEC String:
/s.ic.yymmddThhnnZB.yymmddThhnnZC.yymmddThhnnZE.fr/
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H-VTEC String |
Event Group s - Flood Severity (0, N, 1, 2, 3, U) ic - Immediate Cause (ER, SM, RS, DM, GO, IJ, IC, UU) fr - Flood Record (NO, NR, UU, OO) |
Date/Time Group yymmddThhnnZB - Flood Begin Date/Time yymmddThhnnZC - Flood Crest Date/Time yymmddThhnnZE - Flood End Date/Time |
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Flood Severity (s) |
0 N 1 |
For areal flood warnings or None Minor |
2 3 U |
Moderate major Unknown |
Flood Timing |
yymmddThhnnZB yymmddThhnnZC yymmddThhnnZE |
Begin - time flood stage/level is exceeded Crest - time of maximum stage/flow End - time for fall below flood stage/level |
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Immediate Cause (ic) |
ER SM RS DM IJ |
Excessive Rainfall Snowmelt Rain and Snowmelt Dam or Levee Failure Ice Jam |
GO IC UU |
Glacier-Dammed Rain and/or Snowmelt and/or Ice Jam Unknown |
Flood Record Status (fr) |
NO NR UU OO |
A record flood is not expected Near record or record flood expected Flood without a period of record to compare For areal flood warnings or areal flash flood products |
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Examples of VTEC in Products
For Alabama county codes click here - look for the last 3 numbers in the SAME# column. (example: 021 is Chilton County)
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