NOUS41 KWBC 041914
PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 05-10
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
200 PM EST FRI MAR 4 2005

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:  	DOUGLAS C. YOUNG
       	ACTING CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH

SUBJECT:CHANGES TO THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FIRE WEATHER ZONES IN 
	NEW MEXICO: EFFECTIVE APRIL 28 2005

EFFECTIVE APRIL 28 AT 1200 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/... 
NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES /WFO/ IN ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO 
/ABQ/...EL PASO TEXAS /EPZ/ AND MIDLAND TEXAS /MAF/ WILL 
IMPLEMENT CHANGES TO THEIR NEW MEXICO FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
BOUNDARIES...ZONE DESCRIPTOR NAMES...AND WILL ADD THREE /3/ NEW 
ZONE NUMBERS /NM113-115/.

WFO ALBUQUERQUE WILL HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ZONES NM101-109. WFO 
EL PASO WILL HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ZONES NM110-113. WFO MIDLAND 
WILL HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ZONES NM114-115. 

THE PURPOSE OF THE CHANGES IS TO SUPPORT A MORE EFFICIENT 
FORECAST PROCESS AND PROVIDE NWS FIRE WEATHER CUSTOMERS WITH MORE 
FOCUSED WATCH...WARNING AND FORECAST PRODUCTS.  

ONCE THESE CHANGES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED...THE FOLLOWING 
GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTORS WILL BE USED IN ALL FIRE WEATHER 
FORECAST PRODUCTS ISSUED FOR NEW MEXICO:

       FIRE WEATHER	
ZONE NUMBER	ZONE DESCRIPTOR

NM101		NORTHWEST PLATEAU 
NM102		NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS 
NM103		NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS 
NM104		NORTHEAST PLAINS
NM105		NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS 
NM106		MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY
NM107		SANDIA MANZANO AND GALLINAS MOUNTAINS
NM108		EAST CENTRAL PLAINS
NM109		WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 
NM110		SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS 
NM111		SOUTHWEST DESERTS AND LOWLANDS 
NM112		SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE 
VALLEY 
NM113		CAPITAN AND SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS /NEW ZONE/ 
NM114		GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS /NEW ZONE/
NM115		SOUTHEAST PLAINS /NEW ZONE/


NWS WATCH...WARNING AND FORECAST PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THESE 
CHANGES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

PRODUCT				WMO HEADING	AWIPS ID
------------------------------	----------	--------
FIRE WEATHER WATCH		WWUS85 KABQ	RFWABQ
				WWUS84 KEPZ	RFWEPZ
				WWUS84 KMAF	RFWMAF
RED FLAG WARNING		WWUS85 KABQ	RFWABQ
				WWUS84 KEPZ	RFWEPZ
				WWUS84 KMAF	RFWMAF

FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST	FNUS55 KABQ	FWFABQ
				FNUS54 KEPZ	FWFEPZ
				FNUS54 KMAF	FWFMAF

NATIONAL FIRE DANGER RATING	FNUS85 KABQ	FWMABQ
SYSTEM FORECAST			FNUS84 KEPZ	FWMEPZ
				FNUS84 KMAF	FWMMAF

SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST	FNUS75 KABQ	SMFABQ

NWS CUSTOMERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO 
THEIR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS TO ACCOMMODATE THE ZONE CHANGES AND 
ADDITIONS.

ALTHOUGH THIS NOTIFICATION IS LESS THAN THE REQUIRED 75 DAYS AS 
SPECIFIED BY NWSI 10-1805...THE ZONE BOUNDARY CHANGES PROPOSED 
FOR IMPLEMENTATION WERE REQUESTED BY...AND HAVE BEEN CLOSELY 
COORDINATED WITH...LOCAL FIRE WEATHER PARTNERS AND CUSTOMERS TO 
BE READY TO GO WITH THIS CHANGE ON APRIL 28. 

THE SHAPEFILES OF THE NEW FIRE WEATHER ZONES FOR THE NWS OFFICES 
IN ALBUQUERQUE...EL PASO AND MIDLAND ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD 
FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

	WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/FIREZONE.HTM

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THESE PRODUCT CHANGES... 
PLEASE CONTACT: 

        BRENT WACHTER
	FIRE WEATHER PROGRAM MANAGER
	NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
	2341 CLARK CARR LOOP SE
	ALBUQUERQUE NM 87106-5633
	PHONE: 505-244-9147
	EMAIL: JOHN.WACHTER@NOAA.GOV

	TOM BIRD
	FIRE WEATHER PROGRAM MANAGER
	NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
	7950 AIRPORT ROAD
	SANTA TERESA NM 88008
	PHONE: 505-589-4088
	EMAIL: TOM.BIRD@NOAA.GOV

	GREG MURDOCH
	FIRE WEATHER PROGRAM MANAGER
	NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
	2500 CHALLENGER DRIVE
	MIDLAND TX 79706-2606
	PHONE: 432-563-5006
	EMAIL: GREGORY.MURDOCH@NOAA.GOV

THIS AND OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 
/USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM

$$
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