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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SPECIFIC FORECASTS HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE STANDARD DOUBLE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@NOAA.GOV       

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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