AFOS message - zone reconfiguration

• To: msd.nws(rec)
• Subject: AFOS message - zone reconfiguration
• From: C.ALEX
• Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1993 08:37:13 -0600

Posted: Wed, Jun  2, 1993   5:22 PM EDT              Msg: IGJD-5732-4049
CC:     l.miller.ucar(rec)
Subj:   AFOS message - zone reconfiguration           
I sent the following message on AFOS, NWWS, Family of Services, etc. today.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
WSHPNSWSH
ADMN81 KWBC DDHHMM

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
500 PM EDT WED JUN 2 1993

TO:       NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) EMPLOYEES, FAMILY OF
          SERVICES (FOS) SUBSCRIBERS, NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
          (NWWS) SUBSCRIBERS, OTHER NWS PRODUCT USERS

FROM:     DONALD R. WERNLY, CHIEF, WARNING AND FORECAST BRANCH,
          OFFICE OF METEOROLOGY, NWS HEADQUARTERS

This is to give you advance notice of the National Weather
Service's intent to reconfigure public zone forecast areas on
October 1, 1993.  These changes will occur in all states in the
eastern two-thirds of the country, mainly from the Rocky
Mountains eastward.  The western states of Montana, Idaho,
Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona will NOT
be reconfigured at this time, although there will be slight
modifications to certain zones in southern California.  No
adjustments will need to be made to Alaska and Hawaii.  We will
send you specific details including a nationwide set of zone
forecast area maps for all states (for completeness, including
those states not reconfigured) about August 1, 1993.

Following is general information on the reconfiguration.  Most
zones in the reconfiguration will contain only a single county as
compared with the current multi-county zones.  Some large and/or
topographically diverse counties, especially in mountainous
areas, will be further subdivided into separate zones.  The
reconfiguration will provide better site-specific forecasts,
since smaller zones can be grouped with the needed flexibility to
more accurately reflect the ongoing weather.   

Within each state, all zones will be uniquely identified with a
number and a plain language name.  Zones will be numbered
sequentially in each state generally from west to east and north
to south.  In other words, number 1 typically will be the
northwestern-most zone and the highest number in the state will
be the southeastern-most zone.  Some variation to this numbering
scheme will occur in certain states because of geographical
considerations.  A zone that contains a single county will use
the county name.  Zones that are part of a county or counties
will use other recognizable geographical names.     

Many products use the "Z" form of the Universal Generic Code
(UGC) to further identify specific areas by zone within the
state.  These products are listed below with their NOAA Weather
Wire Service (NWWS) categories/Family of Services (FOS)
identifiers.  Users who normally get information only for
specific zones rather than the entire state's information will
need to use the new UGCs for the reconfigured zones.


     Product                                      NWWS/FOS

     Zone Forecast Product                        ZFP/FPUS5
     Short Term Forecast                          NOW/FXUS21
     Agricultural Zone Forecast                   AGF/FXUS8
     State Forecast Product                       SFP/FPUS1
     Winter Weather Watch/Warning/Advisory        WSW/WWUS46
     Non-Precipitation Watch/Warning/Advisory     NPW/WWUS45
     Flash Flood Watch                            FFA/RWUS31
     Special Weather Statement                    SPS/WWUS35
     Severe Weather Statement                     SVS/WWUS34
     Hurricane Local Statement                    HLS/WWUS31
     Flash Flood Statement                        FFS/RWUS32
     Public Information Statement                 PNS/ABUS34
     Civil Emergency Message                      CEM/MMUS40
     Local Storm Report                           LSR/WWUS30
     State Weather Roundup                        SWR/not on FOS
  
If you need further information, please contact Rod Becker or
Ron Berger of my staff at (301) 713-0090 or write us at:

     NOAA/NWS
     Warning and Forecast Branch W/OM11
     1325 East West Highway #14360
     Silver Spring, MD  20910
 
END