NOUS41 KWBC DDHHMM  
PNSWSH

Public Information Statement, Comment Request 
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC 
1105 AM EST Tue Jan 22 2013 
 
To:      Subscribers:
         -Family of Services
         -NOAA Weather Wire Service
         -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
         -NOAAPORT 
         Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees
          
From:    Mark Tew
         Chief, Marine and Coastal Services Branch                
 
Subject: Soliciting Comments on the Experimental Tampa Bay
         Marine Channel Forecast through June 1, 2013
          
The NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO) Tampa Bay Area is seeking 
user comments on the Experimental Tampa Bay Marine Channel 
Forecast from through June 1, 2013. The Tampa Bay Marine Channel 
Forecast was developed as part of WFO Tampa Bay’s Weather Ready 
Nation Pilot objective. The Marine Channel Forecast uses local 
NWS digital forecast data for six of the seven weather elements 
in the product: winds, gusts, waves, weather, rain chance, and 
hazards. For the seventh element, water level relative to mean 
sea level, Marine Channel Forecast currently populates data from 
the Extratropical Surge and Tide Operational Forecast System 
(ESTOFS) model produced by the NWS’s Ocean Prediction Center 
(OPC).

Forecasts are produced at 13 points along the Tampa Bay shipping 
channel. These 13 points were considered by a diverse group of 
mariners to be critical points of weather information along the 
channel. The Marine Channel Forecast is displayed on a static 
Google map with the Tampa Bay shipping channel and the forecast 
points overlaid. Users may click on any forecast point to view 
the forecast.  

The Marine Channel Forecast is currently available at the 
following web address: 
 
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tbw/?n=marinechannelsforecast

Users are encouraged to provide feedback on this experimental 
product by using the brief survey and comment form at:
 
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/survey/nws-survey.php?code=TBMCF 
 
or provide comments directly to  
 
todd.barron@noaa.gov
 
At the end of the comment period, if comments are favorable, the 
Marine Channel Forecast may be changed to an operational product 
and moved to national availability. At that time, the NWS will 
then decide whether to transition the product to operational, 
extend the comment period, or discontinue the product.

You may obtain more information on this product online at:
 
http://products.weather.gov/PDD/NavSaF_PDD.pdf
 
For questions regarding this notice, please contact: 
 
Todd Barron
Emergency Response Meteorologist
NWS Tampa Bay/Ruskin FL
813-645-2323 x331
Todd.Barron@noaa.gov
 
National Public Information Notices are online at:
 
http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm
 
$$