NOUS41 KWBC 151540 PNSWSH SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 10-05 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC 223 PM EST FRI JAN 15 2010 TO: SUBSCRIBERS: -FAMILY OF SERVICES -NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE -EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK -NOAAPORT OTHER NWS PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES FROM: ELI JACKS CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH SUBJECT: CHANGES TO THE FIRE WEATHER ZONE FOR THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK IN TENNESSEE AND NORTH CAROLINA EFFECTIVE MARCH 16 2010 EFFECTIVE TUESDAY MARCH 16 2010 AT 1200 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/...NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ KNOXVILLE/TRI- CITIES TN /MRX - MORRISTOWN TN/...WILL SPLIT ITS FIRE WEATHER FORECAST ZONE FOR THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK /TNZ303/ INTO TWO FIRE WEATHER FORECAST ZONES...TENNESSEE PORTION OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK /TNZ303/ AND NORTH CAROLINA PORTION OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK /NCZ303/. THIS SPLIT WILL OCCUR ALONG THE TENNESSEE - NORTH CAROLINA STATE LINE AND IMPROVE FIRE WEATHER SERVICES... INCLUDING WATCH... WARNING AND FORECAST PRODUCTS FOR THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK IN EASTERN TENNESSEE AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. MRX/S GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK FIRE WEATHER ZONE TNZ303 WILL RETAIN ITS ZONE NUMBER BECAUSE THE CLIMATOLOGY OF THE ZONE WILL NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY. IT WILL HOWEVER BE GIVEN A NEW ZONE NAME /TENNESSEE PORTION OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK/ TO BETTER IDENTIFY ITS GEOGRAPHIC EXTENT. THE NORTH CAROLINA PORTION OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK /NCZ303/ IS BEING ASSIGNED A NEW ZONE NAME AND NUMBER TO ACCOUNT FOR ITS DIFFERING CLIMATOLOGY. THE NEW FIRE WEATHER ZONE NCZ303 WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WFO GREENVILLE/SPARTANBURG /GSP/. ONCE THIS CHANGE HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED...THE FOLLOWING GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTORS WILL BE USED FOR ALL FIRE WEATHER FORECAST PRODUCTS ISSUED FOR THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK. TABLE 1 - NEW FIRE WEATHER ZONE /Z/ FORM OF THE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/ AND NAMES: NEW FIRE NEW OLD FIRE OLD ZONE NAME UGC /Z/ ZONE NAME UGC /Z/ ---------- ------- ---------- ------- TENNESSEE PORTION TNZ303 GREAT SMOKY TNZ303 OF THE GREAT MOUNTAINS NATIONAL SMOKY MOUNTAINS PARK NATIONAL PARK NORTH CAROLINA NCZ303 N/A N/A PORTION OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF TNZ303: THIS INCLUDES THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK COMPLETELY IN TENNESSEE AND COVERS PORTIONS OF BLOUNT...SEVIER AND COCKE COUNTIES. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF NCZ303: THIS INCLUDES THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK COMPLETELY IN NORTH CAROLINA AND COVERS PORTIONS OF SWAIN AND HAYWOOD COUNTIES. TABLE 2 - NWS WATCH...WARNING AND FORECAST PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THESE CHANGES: FOR WFO MRX/S FIRE WEATHER ZONE TNZ303 PRODUCT WMO HEADING AWIPS ID ------- ----------- -------- FIRE WEATHER WATCH WWUS84 KMRX RFWMRX RED FLAG WARNING WWUS84 KMRX RFWMRX FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FNUS54 KMRX FWFMRX FIRE WEATHER NFDRS FORECAST FNUS84 KMRX FWMMRX FIRE WEATHER SPOT FORECAST FNUS74 KMRX FWSMRX FOR WFO GSP/S FIRE WEATHER ZONE NCZ303 FIRE WEATHER WATCH WWUS82 KGSP RFWGSP RED FLAG WARNING WWUS82 KGSP RFWGSP FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FNUS52 KGSP FWFGSP FIRE WEATHER NFDRS FORECAST FNUS82 KGSP FWMGSP FIRE WEATHER SPOT FORECAST FNUS72 KGSP FWSGSP POINT FIRE WEATHER FOUS54 KGSP PFWGSP FORECAST MATRIX PARTNERS AND USERS SHOULD TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO ENSURE SYSTEM/S/ RECOGNIZE THE NEW UGC AND NEW ZONE ALIGNMENTS. IN ADDITION RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FIRE WEATHER NATIONAL FIRE DANGER RATING SYSTEM /NFDRS/ POINT FORECAST FOR THE CHEROKEE RAWS SITE /ID 313902/ WILL TRANSFER FROM WFO MRX TO WFO GSP. AN UPDATED FIRE WEATHER ZONE SHAPEFILE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/FIREZONE.HTM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...PLEASE CONTACT: LARRY GABRIC METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 1549 GSP DRIVE GREER SC 29651 864-848-9970 EXT. 222 LARRY.GABRIC@NOAA.GOV GEORGE MATHEWS METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 5974 COMMERCE BLVD MORRISTOWN TN 37814 423-586-6429 EXT. 222 GEORGE.MATHEWS@NOAA.GOV NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIF.HTM $$ NNNN