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NOUS41 KWBC 291429
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1030 AM EDT MON SEP 29 1997
TO FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS...NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM THERESE PIERCE...CHIEF...HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
SUBJECT RECONFIGURATION OF PUERTO RICO/U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
COASTAL MARINE FORECAST ZONES...EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 2
1997
THE NWS WILL RECONFIGURE PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
COASTAL MARINE FORECAST ZONES ON DECEMBER 2 1997...AT 1300
UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME /UTC/. THESE RECONFIGURATIONS WILL
PROVIDE MARINE WEATHER FORECASTERS THE ABILITY TO ISSUE MORE
SITE-SPECIFIC FORECASTS BY AFFORDING THEM NEEDED FLEXIBILITY TO
GROUP NEW SMALLER ZONES TOGETHER OR SEPARATE THEM TO MORE
ACCURATELY HIGHLIGHT ONGOING AND PREDICTED WEATHER.
TABLE 1 LISTS THE PRODUCT CATEGORIES AFFECTED. TABLE 2 IS A LIST
OF THE NEW ZONES. MARINE FORECAST ZONES ARE DEFINED BY
RECOGNIZABLE GEOGRAPHIC LANDMARKS /COASTAL CITIES...CAPES...
POINTS...ETC.
MARINE FORECAST ZONE IDENTIFIERS FOLLOW THE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC
CODE /UGC/ CONVENTION SSZNNN WHERE SS IN THESE CASES IS AN
OCEAN AREA AND NNN IS THE ZONE /Z/ NUMBER...WHICH IS DETERMINED
AS FOLLOWS
LEFT N = ISSUING NWS OFFICE FOR WARNINGS
MIDDLE N = TYPE OF BODY OF WATER
RIGHT N = ZONE NUMBER SEQUENCE...INCREASING FROM
NORTH TO SOUTH AND WEST TO EAST.
OTHER PRODUCTS ISSUED /NOT JUST COASTAL WATERS FORECASTS/ WILL BE
AFFECTED BY ZONE RECONFIGURATIONS. THIS IS BECAUSE THE Z FORM OF
THE UGC USED IN CERTAIN PRODUCTS WILL CONTAIN THE NEW ZONE
NUMBERS TO FURTHER IDENTIFY SPECIFIC AREAS BY ZONE. THE MARINE
PRODUCTS THAT USE THE Z FORM OF THE UGC ARE LISTED IN TABLE 1
WITH THEIR NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ AND FAMILY OF
SERVICES /FOS/ IDENTIFIERS. USERS SELECTING INFORMATION FOR
SPECIFIC ZONES WILL NEED TO USE THE NEW UGCS FOR THE RECONFIGURED
ZONES.
TABLE 1. PRODUCT CATEGORIES AFFECTED BY PUERTO RICO MARINE ZONE
RECONFIGURATIONS.
PRODUCT NWWS ID WMO/FOS HEADER
COASTAL WATERS FORECAST SJUCWFSJU FZCA42 TJSJ
SPANISH VERSION SJUCWFSPN FZCA62 TJSJ
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING SJUSMWSJU WHCA42 TJSJ
SPANISH VERSION SJUSMWSPN WHCA62 TJSJ
MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT SJUMWSSJU FZCA42 TJSJ
SPANISH VERSION SJUMWSSPN FZCA62 TJSJ
COMBINED TORNADO/SPECIAL SJUTORSJU WFCA42 TJSJ
MARINE WARNING
SPANISH VERSION SJUTORSPN WFCA62 TJSJ
COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM/ SJUSVRSJU WUCA42 TJSJ
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
SPANISH VERSION SJUSVRSPN WCCA62 TJSJ
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT SJUPNSSJU AXCA42 TJSJ
SPANISH VERSION SJUPNSSPN AXCA62 TJSJ
TABLE 2. NEW MARINE ZONES EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 2 1997 AT 1300 UTC,
ISSUED BY SAN JUAN PR
UGC ZONE
AMZ750 - ATLANTIC NEARSHORE WATERS FROM THE MOUTH OF RIO
GUAJATACA PUERTO RICO, EASTWARD TOCABO SAN JUAN...THEN
EASTWARD TO CULEBRA...ST THOMAS...ST JOHN...AND THE
ADJACENT ISLANDS...OUT TO THE 100 FATHOM LINE.
AMZ770 - ATLANTIC WATERS NORTHWARD TO 19.5 N AND BETWEEN 68 W
AND 64 W, FROM THE NW COAST OF PUERTO RICO AT PUNTA
CADENA EASTWARD TO THE MOUTH OF RIO GUAJATACA EXTENDING
EASTWARD BEYOND THE 100 FATHOM LINE TO THE ANEGADA
PASSAGE.
AMZ773 - CARIBBEAN WATERS FROM PUNTA VIENTO PUERTO RICO NORTH TO
CABO SAN JUAN EXTENDING SOUTHWARD TO 17 N AND EASTWARD
TO 64 W INCLUDING THE CARIBBEAN WATERS OF CULEBRA...
VIEQUES...AND OF THE U. S. VIRGIN ISLANDS.
AMZ755 - NEARSHORE WATERS OF THE WEST COAST OF PUERTO RICO FROM
PUNTA CADENA TO PUNTA MELONES EXTENDING WESTWARD OUT TO
12 NM.
AMZ775 - CARIBBEAN WATERS FROM PUNTA VIENTO, PUERTO RICO TO
PUNTA MELONES AND THE WATERS OUTSIDE OF 12 NM FROM
PUNTA MELONES TO PUNTA CADENA, EXTENDING SOUTHWARD TO
17 N AND WESTWARD TO 68 W.
AMZ790 - OUTLOOK FOR PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS COASTAL
WATERS
THIS INFORMATION UPDATES APPENDICES A AND B OF WEATHER SERVICE
OPERATIONS MANUAL CHAPTER D-51. THIS MESSAGE IS POSTED ON THE
FOLLOWING URL /SMALL CASE/ HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
UPDATED MARINE ZONE MAPS WILL BE POSTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AT
THE FOLLOWING URL /SMALL CASE/
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/MODERNIZE/ST-MAPS/MAPS.HTM IF YOU HAVE
ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ZONES...OR WISH TO REQUEST HARD COPIES OF
MARINE ZONE MAPS...YOU MAY CONTACT
LAURA COOK MARIO VALVERDE
NOAA/NWS W/O12 NOAA/NWS W/SR1X5
1325 EAST-WEST HWY 819 TAYLOR ST - ROOM 10A26
SILVER SPRING MD 20910 FORT WORTH TX 76102
PH. 301-713-1677 X 126 PH. 871-978-2652 X 107
END