NOUS41 KWBC 062130 AAA PNSWSH PUBLIC INFO. STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 03-12...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC 430 PM EST THU MAR 6 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...AND NWS EMPLOYEES FROM GLENN AUSTIN ACTING CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH SUBJECT UPDATED - FORECAST ZONE CHANGES IN EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND...EFFECTIVE APRIL 30 2003 UPDATED EFFECTIVE DATE - THE EFFECTIVE DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM MONDAY...MARCH 31 TO WEDNESDAY...APRIL 30 2003. THE UPDATED ZONE MAP SHAPEFILE CAN NOW BE DOWNLOADED...SEE THE WEBSITE BELOW IN PARAGRAPH TEN /10/. EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY...APRIL 30 2003 AT 1800 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/...100 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME...SIX NEW FORECAST ZONES WILL BE CREATED IN EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND. THESE CHANGES AFFECT PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ IN ALBANY NEW YORK /ALY/. REFER TO TABLE 1 FOR NEW ZONE NAMES AND CODES. PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE ARE LISTED IN TABLE 2. FULTON COUNTY NEW YORK WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO PORTIONS... NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN. THE SOUTHERN PART WILL RETAIN THE ZONE NUMBER NYZ039 CURRENTLY USED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. THE NORTHERN PORTION WILL RECEIVE THE NEW ZONE DESIGNATION NYZ082. THE SPLIT WILL SEPARATE THE MOHAWK VALLEY FROM THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY. THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF WARREN COUNTY NEW YORK WILL BE SPLIT OFF. THE NORTHERN PORTION WILL RETAIN THE ZONE NUMBER NYZ042 CURRENTLY USED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. THE SOUTHEAST SEGMENT OF THE COUNTY WILL RECEIVE THE NEW ZONE DESIGNATION NYZ083. THE SPLIT WILL BREAK THE UPPER HUDSON VALLEY PORTION OF THE COUNTY OFF FROM THE HIGH PEAKS OF THE EASTERN ADIRONDACKS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. WASHINGTON COUNTY NEW YORK WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO PORTIONS... NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN. THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY WILL RETAIN THE ZONE NUMBER NYZ043...CURRENTLY USED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. THE SOUTHERN HALF WILL RECEIVE THE NEW ZONE DESIGNATION NYZ084. THE SPLIT WILL SEPARATE THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY PORTION OF THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY FROM THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE NORTHERN TACONICS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. WINDHAM COUNTY VERMONT WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO PORTIONS...EASTERN AND WESTERN. THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY WILL RETAIN THE ZONE NUMBER VTZ014...CURRENTLY USED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY WILL RECEIVE THE NEW ZONE DESIGNATION VTZ015. THE SPLIT WILL SEPARATE THE CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY FROM THE GREENE MOUNTAINS IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. BERKSHIRE COUNTY MASSACHUSETTS WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO PORTIONS... NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN. THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY WILL RETAIN THE ZONE NUMBER MAZ001...CURRENTLY USED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. THE SOUTHERN HALF WILL RECEIVE THE NEW ZONE DESIGNATION MAZ025. THE SPLIT WILL SEPARATE THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY FROM THE MORE MODEST MOUNTAINS OF THE SOUTHERN BERKSHIRES. LITCHFIELD COUNTY CONNECTICUT WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO PORTIONS... NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN. THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY WILL RETAIN THE ZONE NUMBER CTZ001...CURRENTLY USED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. THE SOUTHERN HALF WILL RECEIVE THE NEW ZONE DESIGNATION CTZ013. THE SPLIT WILL SEPARATE THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE LITCHFIELD HILLS FROM THE BEGINNINGS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. THESE CHANGES WILL ALLOW FORECASTS FOR EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND TO BE MORE AREA SPECIFIC. AN UPDATED ZONE MAP SHAPEFILE CONTAINING THE REALIGNED ZONES IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/pubzone.htm A MAP OF THESE NEW ZONES CAN BE FOUND ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING URL ADDRESS /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/aly/images/newzone.jpg NWS CUSTOMERS WHO AUTOMATICALLY PROCESS PRODUCTS LISTED IN TABLE 1 USING THE Z FORM OF THE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/ MAY NEED TO PROGRAM THE NEW Z CODES INTO THEIR SYSTEM/S/ NO LATER THAN APRIL 30 2003 TO CONTINUE TO PROCESS THE PRODUCTS. TABLE 1. OLD AND NEW ZONE NAMES AND ZONE CODES /Z FORM OF THE UGC/. NEW OLD NEW ZONE NAME UGC /Z/ OLD ZONE NAME UGC /Z/ -------------------- ------- ------------- ------- NORTHERN FULTON NYZ082 FULTON NYZ039 SOUTHERN FULTON NYZ039 FULTON NYZ039 SOUTHEAST WARREN NYZ083 WARREN NYZ042 NORTHERN WARREN NYZ042 WARREN NYZ042 SOUTHERN WASHINGTON NYZ084 WASHINGTON NYZ043 NORTHERN WASHINGTON NYZ043 WASHINGTON NYZ043 EASTERN WINDHAM VTZ015 WINDHAM VTZ014 WESTERN WINDHAM VTZ014 WINDHAM VTZ014 SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE MAZ025 BERKSHIRE MAZ001 NORTHERN BERKSHIRE MAZ001 BERKSHIRE MAZ001 SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD CTZ013 LITCHFIELD CTZ001 NORTHERN LITCHFIELD CTZ001 LITCHFIELD CTZ001 TABLE 2. THE FOLLOWING ARE KEY PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THESE CHANGES. PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID PUBLIC ZONE FORECAST FPUS51 KALY ZFPALY DIGITAL ZONE FORECAST FOUS51 KALY RDFALY FLOOD WATCH WGUS61 KALY FFAALY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FLUS41 KALY HWOALY NON-PRECIPITATION ADVSY/WATCH/WARNING WWUS71 KALY NPWALY WINTER STORM ADVSY/WATCH/WARNING WWUS41 KALY WSWALY SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WWUS81 KALY SPSALY SHORT-TERM FORECAST FPUS71 KALY NOWALY RED FLAG WARNING/FIRE WEATHER WATCH WWUS81 KALY RFWALY FIRE WEATHER FORECAST FNUS51 KALY FWFALY DAILY RIVER AND LAKE SUMMARY FGUS51 KALY RVDALB HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY SRUS41 KALY RVAALB HYDROLOGIC STATEMENT FGUS81 KALY RVSALB HYDROLOGIC OR WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK FGUS71 KALY ESFALY PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NOUS41 KALY PNSALY FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE /NY/ FOUS61 KTAR FFGNY FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE /MA/ FOUS61 KTAR FFGMA PLEASE NOTE THAT THE COUNTY CODES USED FOR TORNADO...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...AND FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS...AS WELL AS CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGES AND SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENTS...REMAIN UNCHANGED SINCE THOSE PRODUCTS USE THE COUNTY /C/ FORM OF THE UGC. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CHANGE...PLEASE CONTACT DICK WESTERGARD...WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST -OR- GENE AUCIELLO...METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 251 FULLER ROAD SUITE B-300 ALBANY NEW YORK 12203-3640 PHONE 518-435-9571 THIS NOTICE AND OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING URL ADDRESS /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm $$ NNNN