-------- Original Message --------
382
NOUS41 KWBC 181933
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 09-06
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
235 PM EST WED FEB 18 2009
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-FAMILY OF SERVICES
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
OTHER NWS PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: ELI JACKS
CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT: FIRE AND PUBLIC ZONE CHANGES FOR KUSKOKWIM
VALLEY ALASKA ZONE /AKZ151/ EFFECTIVE MAY 7 2009
ON THURSDAY MAY 7 2009 AT 0000 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME
/UTC/...WEDNESDAY MAY 6 AT 400 PM ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME
/ADT/...THE ANCHORAGE /ANC/ ALASKA WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/
WILL SPLIT BOTH ITS KUSKOKWIM VALLEY FIRE WEATHER /FIRE ZONE
AKZ151/ AND KUSKOKWIM VALLEY PUBLIC WEATHER ZONE /PUBLIC ZONE
AKZ151/ INTO TWO PARTS. ONE PART OF EACH ZONE WILL REMAIN
WITHIN THE NWS WFO ANCHORAGE COUNTY WARNING AND FORECAST AREA
/CWFA/ AND THE OTHER PART WILL MOVE TO THE WFO FAIRBANKS /FAI/
CWFA. THESE CHANGES WILL AFFECT ALL NWS PRODUCTS ISSUED FOR THE
FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER PROGRAMS IN THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY ZONE.
COINCIDENT WITH THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY ZONE CHANGE...WFO ANC WILL
BEGIN ISSUING A TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST /TAF/ FOR SAND POINT
AK. RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MCGRATH AK TAF WILL TRANSFER FROM WFO
ANC TO WFO FAI AK. A TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE /TIN/
ADDRESSING THE TAF CHANGES CAN BE FOUND AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIFICATION/TIN09-08TAF_ALASKA.TXT
NWS WILL ALSO CHANGE THE HYDROLOGIC SERVICE AREA BOUNDARIES FOR
THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY. SEE THE SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE REFERENCED
BELOW FOR DETAILS. /USE LOWERCASE/
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIFICATION/SCN09-07KUSKOKWIM_HSA.TXT
THIS ZONE CHANGE REQUIRES CERTAIN SUBSCRIBERS TO THE NOAA
WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ AND THE FAMILY OF SERVICES
/FOS/...PRIMARILY CABLE TV OUTLETS...TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION
TO RECEIVE THE ZONES USING THE UNIVERSAL GENERIC CODE /UGC/ ZONE
CODE FORMAT /Z/ LISTED BELOW.
OLD FIRE/PUBLIC ZONE NAME UGC /Z/ CWFA
---------------------------- ------- ----
KUSKOKWIM VALLEY AKZ151 WFO ANCHORAGE AK
NEW FIRE/PUBLIC ZONE NAME UGC /Z/ CWFA
---------------------------- ------- ----
LOWER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY AKZ152 WFO ANCHORAGE AK
UPPER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY AKZ227 WFO FAIRBANKS AK
FIRE WEATHER ZONES IN ALASKA ARE IDENTICAL IN GEOGRAPHY...NAME
AND NUMBER WITH PUBLIC WEATHER ZONES.
A MAP SHOWING THE NEW ZONE CONFIGURATION AS WELL AS A LIST OF
AFFECTED PRODUCTS CAN BE FOUND AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.ARH.NOAA.GOV/NEWZONE.PHP
SHAPE FILES OF FIRE AND NEW PUBLIC WEATHER ZONES ARE AVAILABLE
FOR DOWNLOAD FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/PUBZONE.HTM
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/FIREZONE.HTM
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS CHANGE FOR PUBLIC/HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
ZONE CHANGES IS SOONER THAN SPECIFIED BY NWS POLICY (NWS
INSTRUCTION 10-1805). THE REDUCTION OF THE NORMAL ADVANCE LEAD
TIME WAS APPROVED BECAUSE THIS CHANGE WAS NECESSITATED BY
CRITICAL OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND HAS BEEN CLOSELY
COORDINATED WITH LOCAL USERS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...PLEASE CONTACT:
FOR THE LOWER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY:
BOB HOPKINS... METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE
SAM ALBANESE...WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
ANCHORAGE WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE
6930 SAND LAKE ROAD
ANCHORAGE AK 99502
907-266-5120
BOB.HOPKINS@xxxxxxxx
SAM.ALBANESE@xxxxxxxx
FOR THE UPPER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY:
JOHN DRAGOMIR...METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE
JOHN LINGAAS...WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FAIRBANKS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE
UAF-IARC BLDG
PO BOX 757345
FAIRBANKS AK 99775-7345
907-458-3700
JOHN.DRAGOMIR@xxxxxxxx
JOHN.LINGAAS@xxxxxxxx
NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIF.HTM
$$