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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
230 PM EDT MON JUN 1 1997
TO FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS... NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS... OTHER NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS... NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM THERESE Z. PIERCE... CHIEF... HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
SERVICES
SUBJECT RECONFIGURATION OF PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES IN WASHINGTON
STATE... EFFECTIVE JULY 1 1997
THE NWS WILL RECONFIGURE PUBLIC ZONE FORECAST AREAS IN WASHINGTON
STATE ON JULY 1 1997... AT 1100 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME
/UTC/... 4 A.M. PDT... 5 A.M. MST. THIS RECONFIGURATION WILL
HELP PROVIDE BETTER SITE-SPECIFIC FORECASTS BY AFFORDING
FORECASTERS THE NEEDED FLEXIBILITY TO GROUP NEW SMALLER ZONES
TOGETHER OR SEPARATE THEM OUT TO MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT ONGOING
AND PREDICTED WEATHER.
TABLE 1 LISTS THE NEW ZONES. A ZONE WILL BE NAMED EITHER BY
COUNTY OR COUNTIES OR OTHER RECOGNIZABLE GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.
MANY PRODUCTS ISSUED /NOT JUST ZONE FORECASTS/ WILL BE AFFECTED
BY THESE ZONE RECONFIGURATIONS. THIS IS BECAUSE THE Z /ZONE/
FORM OF THE UNIVERSAL GENERIC CODE /UGC/ USED IN THESE PRODUCTS
CONTAIN ZONE NUMBERS TO FURTHER IDENTIFY SPECIFIC AREAS BY ZONE
WITHIN THE STATE. THE CATEGORIES OF AFFECTED PRODUCTS THAT USE
THE Z FORM OF THE UGC ARE LISTED IN TABLE 2 WITH THEIR NWWS AND
FOS IDENTIFIERS. USERS WHO SELECT INFORMATION FOR SPECIFIC ZONES
WILL NEED TO USE THE CORRECT UGCS FOR THE RECONFIGURED ZONES.
TABLE 1. NEW ZONES EFFECTIVE JULY 1 1997 AT 1100 UTC.
UGC Z WASHINGTON ZONE NAME
WAZ002- WESTERN WHATCOM
WAZ003- NORTHERN CASCADE FOOTHILLS
WAZ004- CENTRAL CASCADES FOOTHILLS
WAZ011- SOUTHWEST INTERIOR
WAZ017- WEST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES
WAZ018- WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES
WAZ019- WEST SLOPES SOUTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES
WAZ022- LOWER COLUMBIA
WAZ024- EAST COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
WAZ027- YAKIMA VALLEY
WAZ028- LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN
THE FOLLOWING ZONE WILL DELETED AT THE SAME TIME:
WAZ020- SOUTHWEST INTERIOR
TABLE 2. PRODUCT CATEGORIES AFFECTED BY ZONE RECONFIGURATION.
A. PRODUCTS ISSUED BY ZONE FROM THE WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE /WSFO/ IN SEATTLE /SEA/...WASHINGTON.
PRODUCT NWWS WMO/FOS IDS
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT SEAZFPWA FPUS5 KSEA
WINTER WEATHER WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY SEAWSWSEA WWUS46 KSEA
NON-PRECIPITATION WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY SEANPWSEA WWUS45 KSEA
FLASH FLOOD WATCH SEAFFASEA RWUS31 KSEA
STATE FORECAST PRODUCT SEASFPWA FPUS1 KSEA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT SEASPSSEA WWUS35 KSEA
FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT SEAFFSSEA RWUS32 KSEA
STATE WEATHER ROUNDUP SEASWRWA ASUS56 KSEA
B. OTHER PRODUCTS ISSUED BY ZONE FROM EITHER WSFO SEA... WSFO
PORTLAND /PDX/ OREGON...OR THE WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE /WSO/ IN
PENDLETON /PDT/...OREGON...DEPENDING ON THE COUNTY WARNING AREA
OF RESPONSIBILITY /SEE NOTES ++++/
PRODUCT NWWS WMO/FOS
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT ---SVS--- WWUS34 K---
SHORT TERM FORECAST ---NOW--- FPUS75 K---
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ---SPS--- WWUS35 K---
FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT ---FFS--- RWUS32 K---
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT ---PNS--- ABUS34 K---
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE ---CEM--- MMUS40 K---
LOCAL STORM REPORT ---LSR--- WWUS30 K---
++++ NWWS WMO/FOS
WA ZONES 2 3 4 11 17 18 WSFO SEA SEA---SEA ------ KSEA
WA ZONES 19 22 WSFO PDX PDX---PDX ------ KPDX
WA ZONES 24 27 28 WSO PDT PDX---PDT ------ KPDT
THESE ZONE CHANGES UPDATE PAGES A-121 AND 122 OF NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OPERATIONS MANUAL CHAPTER C-11... ZONE AND LOCAL
FORECASTS... APPENDIX A - ZONE FORECAST MAPS. UPDATED ZONE MAPS
CAN BE DOWNLOADED OFF THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE /IN ALL LOWER CASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/MODERNIZE/ST-MAPS/MAPS.HTM
HARD COPIES OF ZONE MAPS CAN BE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL
REQUESTED FROM: OR WRITE
NWS/HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
/OM12/ FORECAST OFFICE
1325 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY 7600 SAND POINT WAY NE
SILVER SPRING MD 20910 SEATTLE WA 98115
PHONE 301-713-1726 X149 OR X109 206-526-6095