NOUS41 KWBC 061836 PNSWSH Service Change Notice 11-41 National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC 210 PM EST Tue Dec 6 2011 To: Subscribers: -Family of Services -NOAA Weather Wire Service -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network -NOAAPORT Other NWS Partners and NWS Employees From: Therese Z. Pierce Chief, Marine and Coastal Weather Services Branch Eli Jacks Chief, Fire and Public Weather Services Branch Subject: Changes in Marine, Fire and Public Weather Forecast Zones for Portions of the Lower James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers in Southeastern Virginia Effective April 3, 2012 Effective Tuesday April 3, 2012 at 2:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), 1800 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Wakefield (AKQ), Virginia, will reconfigure its marine, fire and public weather zones to transfer portions of the lower James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers from fire and public weather zones to marine zones. Currently there are four marine zones covering the lower Chesapeake Bay. Four new marine zones will be created covering the portions of the James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers removed from the fire and public weather zones. Customer feedback has identified these areas as containing high ship traffic. Reconfiguration will improve the precision of marine warnings, forecasts, and services by allowing them to be more area specific. Effective April 3, 2012, WFO Wakefield marine area of responsibility will be expanded to cover the following: 1). A new marine zone, UGC ANZ635 (Rappahannock River from Urbanna to Windmill Point) will be created from the Rappahanock River portions of fire and public weather zones VAZ078 (Lancaster) and VAZ085 (Middlesex). 2). A new marine zone, UGC ANZ636 (York River), will be created from the York River portions of fire and public weather zones VAZ084 (Gloucester), VAZ090 (James City) and VAZ091 (York). 3). A new marine zone, UGC ANZ637 (James River from Jamestown to the James River Bridge will be created from the James River portions of fire and public weather zones VAZ089 (Surry), VAZ093 (Isle of Wight) and VAZ094 (Newport News/Hampton). 4). A new marine zone, UGC ANZ638 (James River from the James River Bridge to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel) will be created from the James River portions of fire and public weather zones VAZ095 (Norfolk/Portsmouth) and VAZ096 (Suffolk). The following fire and public weather zones from WFO Wakefield will be affected (none are outside WFO Wakefield marine area of responsibility): Lancaster VAZ078 Gloucester VAZ084 Middlesex VAZ085 Surry VAZ089 James City VAZ090 York VAZ091 Isle of Wight VAZ093 Newport News/Hampton VAZ094 Norfolk/Portsmouth VAZ095 Suffolk VAZ096 Effective April 3, 2012 the marine zone with Universal Geographic Code (UGC) designation of ANZ632, currently named Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek, VA, will undergo the following changes: 1). ANZ632, named Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek VA, will be split into two zones. The marine area east of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel will remain unchanged. The marine area west of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel will be merged with new marine zone ANZ638, James River from the James River Bridge to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. Table 1 below lists the current marine zones and corresponding Universal Geographic Codes (UGCs) for which WFO Wakefield issues forecasts and warnings: Current Marine Zone Name Current UGC ------------------------ ----------- Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point ANZ630 to Windmill Point Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point ANZ631 to New Point Comfort Chesapeake Bay from New Point ANZ632 Comfort to Little Creek, VA Currituck Sound ANZ633 Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek ANZ634 to Cape Henry, VA, including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Coastal Waters from Fenwick Island, DE ANZ650 to Chincoteague, VA out to 20 nm Coastal Waters from Chincoteague ANZ652 to Parramore Island, VA out to 20 nm Coastal Waters from Parramore Island ANZ654 to Cape Charles Light, VA out to 20 nm Coastal Waters from Cape Charles Light ANZ656 to VA/NC border out to 20 nm Coastal Waters from VA/NC border ANZ658 to Currituck Beach Light, NC out to 20 nm Waters from Fenwick Island, DE to ANZ670 Currituck Beach Light, NC from 20 to 40 nm Table 2 below lists the marine zones and corresponding UGCs for which WFO Wakefield will issue forecasts and warnings effective April 3, 2012. Marine Zone Name New UGC ---------------- ------- Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point ANZ630 to Windmill Point Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point ANZ631 to New Point Comfort Chesapeake Bay from New Point ANZ632 Comfort to Little Creek, VA Currituck Sound ANZ633 Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek ANZ634 to Cape Henry, VA, including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Rappahannock River from Urbanna to ANZ635 Windmill Point York River ANZ636 James River from Jamestown to the James ANZ637 River Bridge James River from James River Bridge to ANZ638 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Coastal Waters from Fenwick Island, DE ANZ650 to Chincoteague, VA out to 20 nm Coastal Waters from Chincoteague ANZ652 to Parramore Island, VA out to 20 nm Coastal Waters from Parramore Island ANZ654 to Cape Charles Light, VA out to 20 nm Coastal Waters from Cape Charles Light ANZ656 To VA/NC border out to 20 nm Coastal Waters from VA/NC border ANZ658 to Currituck Beach Light, NC out to 20 nm Waters from Fenwick Island, DE to ANZ670 Currituck Beach Light, NC from 20 to 40 nm Graphical images of the current and future marine, fire and public zones listed in Tables 1 and 3 are online at: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/akq/news/AKQMZ.html TABLE 3. NWS products affected by the WFO Wakefield marine, fire and public weather zone changes effective April 3, 2012: PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID ------------ ----------- -------- COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FZUS51 KAKQ CWFAKQ SPECIAL MARINE WARNING WHUS51 KAKQ SMWAKQ MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT FZUS71 KAKQ MWSAKQ MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE WHUS71 KAKQ MWWAKQ HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WTUS81 KAKQ HLSAKQ WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION WWUS61 KAKQ WCNAKQ HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FLUS41 KAKQ HWOAKQ COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE WHUS41 KAKQ CFWAKQ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WUUS51 KAKQ SVRAKQ TORNADO WARNING WFUS51 KAKQ TORAKQ SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT WWUS51 KAKQ SVSAKQ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WWUS81 KAKQ SPSAKQ ZONE FORECAST FPUS51 KAKQ ZFPAKQ SHORT TERM FORECAST FPUS71 KAKQ NOWAKQ TSUNAMI MESSAGE WEXX20 PAAQ TSUAT1 FIRE WEATHER FORECAST FNUS51 KAKQ FWFAKQ RED FLAG WATCH/WARNING WWUS81 KAKQ RFWAKQ NATIONAL FIRE DANGER FNUS81 KAKQ FWMAKQ RATING SYSTEM FORECAST WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE WOUS64 KWNS WOUn (n=1-9) Partners and users of WFO AKQ products must reprogram affected hardware and software to continue correctly processing the products in Table 3. Also partners and users accessing NWS graphical marine, fire and public forecasts must download updated zone map shapefiles to correctly view forecasts for the lower Chesapeake Bay. Updated zone map shapefiles containing the new zones are available online at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/marinezones.ht m http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/pubzone.htm http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/firezone.htm If you have any questions or comments about this reconfiguration of marine, fire and public weather zones please contact: Mike Montefusco Mark Willis Marine Program Leader National Weather Service WFO Wakefield Eastern Region Headquarters 10009 General Mahone Highway 630 Johnson Avenue Wakefield, VA 23888 Bohemia, NY 11716-2618 757-899-4200 631-244-0122 michael.montefusco@noaa.gov mark.willis@noaa.gov National Weather Service Change Notices are online at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm $$