NOUS41 KWBC 131506
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 09-50
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1110 AM EDT TUE OCT 13 2009
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-FAMILY OF SERVICES
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
-NOAAPORT
OTHER NWS PARTNERS...USERS AND EMPLOYEES
FROM: ELI JACKS
CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT: A SPLIT OF FAUQUIER COUNTY VIRGINIA INTO NORTHERN
FAUQUIER AND SOUTHERN FAUQUIER FIRE AND PUBLIC
FORECAST ZONES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 11 2010
EFFECTIVE MONDAY JANUARY 11 2010 AT 100 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME
/EST/...1800 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/...THE NWS
BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO LWX/ WILL
SPLIT THE FIRE AND PUBLIC FORECAST ZONE FOR FAUQUIER COUNTY
VIRGINIA...CURRENTLY ZONE VAZ041...INTO TWO ZONES: NORTHERN
FAUQUIER /VAZ501/ AND SOUTHERN FAUQUIER /VAZ502/. THIS SPLIT IS
APPLIES TO BOTH THE FIRE AND PUBLIC ZONES FOR THE COUNTY.
TABLE 1. ZONE /Z/ FORM OF THE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/
AND FIRE/PUBLIC FORECAST ZONE NAMES/NUMBERS FOR WFO LWX USERS:
NEW ZONE NAME NEW UGC /Z/ OLD ZONE NAME OLD UGC /Z/
------------- ----------- ------------- -----------
NORTHERN FAUQUIER VAZ501 FAUQUIER VAZ041
SOUTHERN FAUQUIER VAZ502 FAUQUIER VAZ041
CURRENTLY THE FORECAST ZONE FOR FAUQUIER COUNTY ENCOMPASSES THE
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH AS WELL
AS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTH ALONG THE SHORES OF THE
POTOMAC RIVER. TWO MAJOR INTERSTATE ROADS ALSO PASS THROUGH THE
COUNTY: INTERSTATE 66 IN THE NORTH AND INTERSTATE 95 IN THE
SOUTH.
BY SPLITTING THE COUNTY BASED ON TWO DISTINCT CLIMATE REGIMES
INTO A NORTHERN AND A SOUTHERN FORECAST ZONE...FORECAST AND
WARNING SERVICES WILL BE IMPROVED IN THIS POPULOUS AND HEAVILY
TRAVELED COUNTY. THE DIVIDE WILL FOLLOW A LINE THAT RUNS WEST TO
EAST THROUGH FAUQUIER COUNTY ALONG ROUTE 15/29 AND ROUTE 211.
THE TOWN OF WARRENTON...WHICH LIES ALONG THE BOUNDARY...WILL BE
INCLUDED IN THE NORTHERN FAUQUIER ZONE.
GRAPHICAL IMAGES OF THE TWO NEW FORECAST ZONES ARE ONLINE AT
/USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/LWX/FAUQUIER_CHANGE.PHP
TABLE 2. WFO BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THE
CHANGE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 11 2010:
PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WWUS81 KLWX SPSLWX
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WTUS81 KLWX HLSLWX
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT FPUS51 KLWX ZFPLWX
ENHANCED LOCAL FORECAST FEUS71 KLWX EOLLWX
SHORT TERM FORECAST FPUS71 KLWX NOWLWX
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FLUS41 KLWX HWOLWX
NON-PRECIPITATION MESSAGE WWUS71 KLWX NPWLWX
WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE WWUS41 KLWX WSWLWX
AREA FORECAST MATRICES FOUS51 KLWX AFMLWX
FIRE WEATHER FORECAST FNUS51 KLWX FWFLWX
REGIONAL WEATHER STORY AWUS81 KLWX RWSLWX
FLOOD WATCH WGUS61 KLWX FFALWX
HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK FGUS71 KLWX ESFLWX
FIRE WEATHER WATCH WWUS81 KLWX RFWLWX
RED FLAG WARNING WWUS81 KLWX RFWLWX
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NOUS41 KLWX PNSLWX
IF YOU ARE AFFECTED BY THESE CHANGES...TAKE THE APPROPRIATE
ACTION SO YOUR SYSTEM/S/ RECOGNIZE THE NEW ZONE /Z/ UNIVERSAL
GEOGRAPHIC CODES /UGC/ AND THE NEW ZONE ALIGNMENTS FOR NORTHERN
AND SOUTHERN FAUQUIER VIRGINIA.
AN UPDATED PUBLIC ZONE MAP SHAPEFILE IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/PUBZONE.HTM
AN UPDATED FIRE ZONE MAP SHAPEFILE IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AT
/USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/FIREZONE.HTM
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS CHANGE IS SOONER THAN SPECIFIED BY
NWS POLICY /NWS INSTRUCTION 10-1805/. THE REDUCTION OF THE
NORMAL ADVANCE LEAD TIME WAS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE CHANGE
WOULD BE EFFECTIVE FOR THE HEART OF THE WINTER WEATHER SEASON AT
THE REQUEST OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGERS. PARTNERS AND USERS
SHOULD NOT HAVE TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE
THE CHANGE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...PLEASE CONTACT:
CHRISTOPHER STRONG JOHN KOCH
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST PUBLIC PROGRAM LEADER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON EASTERN REGION HEADQUARTERS
43858 WEATHER SERVICE ROAD 630 JOHNSON AVENUE
STERLING VA 20166 BOHEMIA NY 11716
703-996-2223 631-244-0104
CHRISTOPHER.STRONG@xxxxxxxx JOHN.KOCH@xxxxxxxx
NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIF.HTM
$$
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