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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 03-63
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
530 PM EDT WED SEP 24 2003
TO FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS
WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...
NOAAPORT SUBSCRIBERS... OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
/NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM GLENN AUSTIN
ACTING CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT MODIFIED FORMAT...CHANGES TO
PUBLIC ZONE BOUNDARIES...AND PHASED IMPLEMENTATION...
EFFECTIVE BEGINNING NOVEMBER 19 2003
ON WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19 2003 AT 400 PM ALASKA STANDARD TIME
/AST/...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE
/WFO/ IN JUNEAU ALASKA WILL IMPLEMENT CHANGES CALLED FOR IN A NEW
DIRECTIVE...NWS INSTRUCTION 10-503...WFO PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST
PRODUCTS SPECIFICATION. THIS NEW DIRECTIVE SETS POLICY FOR AN
IMPROVED ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT /ZFP/ IN A MODIFIED FORMAT. THE
REMAINING ALASKAN WFOS...WFO ANCHORAGE AND WFO FAIRBANKS...WILL
IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES ON TUESDAY...DECEMBER 16 2003.
USERS OF NWS PUBLIC FORECASTS AND WARNINGS ORIGINATING FROM
ALASKA MUST UPDATE THEIR COMMUNICATION SYSTEM DIRECTORIES TO
CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THESE PRODUCTS.
THIS NEW DIRECTIVE EXTENSIVELY CHANGES THE ZFP FORMAT. THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ARE AS FOLLOWS.
1. THE DAY FOUR /4/ THROUGH DAY SEVEN /7/ 24-HOUR FORECASTS HAVE
BEEN BROKEN INTO 12-HOUR SEGMENTS...RESULTING IN SEAMLESS 13 OR
14 PERIOD FORECASTS DEPENDING UPON THE ISSUANCE TIME.
2. WIND FORECASTS ARE EXTENDED TO 60 HOURS.
3. THE DOT LESS THAN CODE /.</ USED TO MARK OPTIONAL SITE
SPECIFIC FORECASTS HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE STANDARD DOUBLE
AMPERSAND /&&/ AND A CARRIAGE RETURN TO MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE WITH
DISSEMINATION POLICY IN NWSI 10-1701...TEXT PRODUCT FORMATS AND
CODES.
THE 7-DAY ZFP WILL CONTINUE TO BE ROUTINELY ISSUED AT LEAST TWICE
DAILY. OTHER ISSUANCES WILL BE ON AN EVENT-DRIVEN BASIS. NO
COMMUNICATIONS CHANGES ARE REQUIRED TO RECEIVE THE IMPROVED ZFP.
THE FOLLOWING WEB LINK BELOW PROVIDES AN EXAMPLE OF THE MODIFIED
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT FORMAT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/...
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIFICATIONS/ZONE_EXAMPLE0715.HTM
ZFP POLICY...FORMAT...AND GENERIC EXAMPLES CAN BE FOUND IN NWS
INSTRUCTION 10-503 LOCATED ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
DIRECTIVES INTERNET WEB SITE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/...
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DIRECTIVES/010/PD01005003A.PDF
IN ADDITION...WFO JUNEAU WILL IMPLEMENT NEW PUBLIC ZONES IN ITS
GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. THESE CHANGES WILL ALSO TAKE
PLACE ON NOVEMBER 19 2003...AT 400 PM AST. THE NEW ZONES ARE
LISTED IN TABLE 1. PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THESE CHANGES ARE LISTED
IN TABLE 2.
AN UPDATED ZONE MAP CONTAINING THE REALIGNED ZONES IS AVAILABLE
FOR DOWNLOAD FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES /USE LOWER CASE
LETTERS/...
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/PUBZONE.HTM
/FILES WILL BE POSTED TO THE ABOVE SITE THURSDAY SEPT. 25TH/
AND
HTTP://WWW.ARH.NOAA.GOV/CHANGES/
TABLE 1. NEW PUBLIC ZONES FOR WFO JUNEAU GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY WITH CORRESPONDING UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODES
/UGC/.
PUBLIC ZONE NAME UGC
CAPE FAIRWEATHER TO CAPE SUCKLING COASTAL AREA AKZ017
TAIYA INLET AND KLONDIKE HIGHWAY AKZ018
HAINES BOROUGH AND LYNN CANAL AKZ019
GLACIER BAY AKZ020
EASTERN CHICHAGOF ISLAND AKZ021
SALISBURY SOUND TO CAPE FAIRWEATHER COASTAL AREA AKZ022
CAPE DECISION TO SALISBURY SOUND COASTAL AREA AKZ023
EASTERN BARANOF ISLAND AND SOUTHERN ADMIRALTY AKZ024
ISLAND
JUNEAU BOROUGH AND NORTHERN ADMIRALTY ISLAND AKZ025
INNER CHANNELS FROM KUPREANOF ISLAND TO ETOLIN AKZ026
ISLAND
DIXON ENTRANCE TO CAPE DECISION COASTAL AREA AKZ027
SOUTHERN INNER CHANNELS AKZ028
MISTY FJORDS AKZ029
TABLE 2. PRODUCTS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY NEW PUBLIC ZONES AND
UGCS. NOTE...W/W/A STANDS FOR WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY.
PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID
ZONE WEATHER FORECAST FPAK57 PAJK ZFPAJK
FIRE WEATHER ZONE FORECAST FNAK57 PAJK FWFAJK
RED FLAG WATCH/WARNING WWAK67 PAJK RFWAJK
MOTORING FORECAST FPAK67 PAJK TVLAJK
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WUAK57 PAJK SVRAJK
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT WWAK57 PAJK SVSAJK
TORNADO WARNING WFAK57 PAJK TORJNU
COASTAL FLOOD WATCH/WARNING FZAK68 PAJN CFWJNU
FLOOD WATCH WGAK67 PAJK FLWAJK
FLASH FLOOD WARNING WGAK57 PAJK FFWAJK
FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT WGAK77 PAJK FFSAJK
FLOOD WARNING WGAK47 PAJK FLWAJK
FLOOD STATEMENT WGAK87 PAJK FLSAJK
RIVER STATEMENT FGAK87 PAJK RVSAJK
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE WOAK47 PAJK CEMAJK
WINTER WEATHER W/W/A FOR SOUTHEAST
ALASKA WWAK47 PAJK WSWAJK
WINTER WEATHER W/W/A FOR THE EASTERN
GULF COAST WWAK47 PAYA WSWYAK
WINTER WEATHER W/W/A FOR SOUTHERN
SOUTHEAST ALASKA WWAK47 PANT WSWANN
NON-PRECIPITATION W/W/A FOR
SOUTHEAST ALASKA WWAK77 PAJK NPWAJK
NON-PRECIPITATION W/W/A FOR
SOUTHEAST ALASKA WWAK77 PAYA NPWYAK
NON-PRECIPITATION W/W/A FOR
SOUTHEAST ALASKA WWAK77 PANT NPWANN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR
SOUTHEAST ALASKA WWAK87 PAJK SPSAJK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR
THE EASTERN GULF COAST WWAK87 PAYA SPSYAK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR
SOUTHERN SOUTHEAST ALASKA WWAK87 PAYA SPSANN
SHORT TERM FORECAST FOR SOUTHEAST
ALASKA FPAK77 PAJK NOWAJK
SHORT TERM FORECAST FOR THE EASTERN
GULF COAST FPAK77 PAYA NOWYAK
SHORT TERM FORECAST FOR SOUTHERN
SOUTHEAST ALASKA FPAK77 PANT NOWANN
NWS CUSTOMERS WHO AUTOMATICALLY PROCESS PRODUCTS LISTED IN
TABLE 2 USING THE ZONE /Z/ FORM OF THE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE
/UGC/ MAY NEED TO PROGRAM THE NEW Z CODES INTO THEIR SYSTEMS NO
LATER THAN NOVEMBER 19 2003 TO CONTINUE TO PROCESS THE PRODUCTS.
A WEB PAGE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO ALLOW USERS TO TEST THE
CHANGES TO ENSURE THEY CAN DECODE THE MODIFIED PRODUCT
CORRECTLY. SEE EXAMPLES AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/...
HTTP://WWW.ARH.NOAA.GOV/CHANGES/
PARTNERS/CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOTIFY THE FOLLOWING POINT OF CONTACT
IF THEY BELIEVE THE CHANGES WILL ADVERSELY IMPACT THEIR
OPERATIONS...OR IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS
CHANGE...
AIMEE DEVARIS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
ALASKA REGION PUBLIC PROGRAM MANAGER
ANCHORAGE AK
PHONE 907.271.3507
E-MAIL AIMEE.DEVARIS@xxxxxxxx
THIS NOTICE AND OTHER SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE
AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/...
WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
$$
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