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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
830 AM EDT WED AUG 19 1998
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 SOME PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES IN
WESTERN AND SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA ...
EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 15 1998
THE NWS WILL RECONFIGURE SOME PUBLIC ZONE FORECAST AREAS IN
WESTERN AND SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA ON OCTOBER 15 1998...AT 1100
UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME /UTC/... 5 A.M. MDT.
THESE RECONFIGURATIONS WILL HELP AFFORD FORECASTERS THE NEEDED
FLEXIBILITY TO GROUP NEW SMALLER ZONES TOGETHER OR SEPARATE THEM
OUT TO MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT ONGOING AND PREDICTED WEATHER.
TABLE 1 IS A LIST OF THE RECONFIGURED ZONES. A ZONE IS NAMED
EITHER BY COUNTY /OR COUNTIES/ OR OTHER RECOGNIZABLE GEOGRAPHICAL
NAMES. TABLE 2 LISTS THE AFFECTED PRODUCTS.
MANY PRODUCTS ISSUED /NOT JUST ZONE FORECASTS/ WILL BE AFFECTED
BY ZONE RECONFIGURATIONS. THIS IS BECAUSE THE Z FORM OF THE
UNIVERSAL GENERIC CODE /UGC/ USED IN CERTAIN PRODUCTS WILL
CONTAIN THE NEW ZONE NUMBERS TO FURTHER IDENTIFY SPECIFIC AREAS
BY ZONE WITHIN THE STATE.
THESE ZONE CHANGES UPDATE PAGES A-113-114 OF NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OPERATIONS MANUAL CHAPTER C-11...ZONE AND LOCAL
FORECASTS...APPENDIX A /ZONE FORECAST MAPS/. UPDATED ZONE MAPS
WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD OFF THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/MODERNIZE/ST-MAPS/MAPS.HTM
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION YOU MAY CALL:
KENNETH MIELKE ROBERT DIAZ
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE
NWS FORECAST OFFICE GREAT FALLS NWS OFFICE BILLINGS
5324 TRI-HILL FRONTAGE ROAD 2170 OVERLAND AVE
GREAT FALLS MT 59404 BILLINGS MT 59102-6455
406-453-9957 406-652-0851
DAVID GOENS
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE
NWS OFFICE MISSOULA
P O BOX 9350
MISSOULA MT 59807
406-329-4715
THIS MESSAGE IS POSTED ON THE FOLLOWING URL ADDRESS /IN LOWER
CASE LETTER/: HTTP//WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
TABLE 1. RECONFIGURED ZONES EFFECTIVE OCT 15 1998 AT 1100 UTC.
MONTANA ZONES ISSUED BY NWSFO GREAT FALLS - TFX
GROUP A - BILLINGS /BIL/ GROUP B - MISSOULA /MSO/
MTZ028- WHEATLAND MTZ002- WEST GLACIER REGION
MTZ029- MUSSELSHELL MTZ006- BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS
MTZ034- STILLWATER MTZ007- BUTTE/PINTLAR REGION
MTZ039- CARBON MTZ043- BLACKFOOT REGION
MTZ040- PARK
MTZ041- SWEET GRASS
MTZ042- GOLDEN VALLEY
TABLE 2. PRODUCT CATEGORIES AFFECTED BY ZONE RECONFIGURATIONS.
PRODUCT NWWS ID WMO HEADING
FOR BOTH GROUP A AND B IN TABLE 1
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT GTFZFPMT FPUS55 KTFX
WINTER WEATHER WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY GTFWSWGTF WWUS46 KGTF
NON-PRECIPITATION WATCH/WARNING/ GTFNPWGTF WWUS45 KGTF
ADVISORY
FLASH FLOOD WATCH GTFFFAGTF RWUS31 KGTF
STATE FORECAST PRODUCT GTFSFPMT FPUS65 KGTF
STATE WEATHER ROUNDUP GTFSWRMT ASUS45 KGTF
XXX/CCC = BIL/BYZ FOR GROUP A AND MSO/MSO FOR GROUP B IN TABLE 1
SHORT TERM FORECAST GTFNOWXXX FPUS75 KCCC
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT GTFSVSXXX WWUS34 KXXX
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT GTFSPSXXX WWUS35 KXXX
FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT GTFFFSXXX RWUS42 KXXX
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT GTFPNSXXX ABUS34 KXXX
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE GTFCEMXXX MMUS40 KXXX
LOCAL STORM REPORT GTFLSRXXX WWUS30 KXXX
ADDITIONAL WINTER WEATHER WATCH/ GTFWSWXXX WWUS46 KXXX
WARNING/ADVISORY
ADDITIONAL NON-PRECIPITATION WATCH/ GTFNPWXXX WWUS45 KXXX
WARNING/ADVISORY
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