[nws-changes] 20100621: Arizona public fcst zones

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [nws-changes] 20100621: Arizona public fcst zones
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:31:29 -0600

NOUS41 KWBC 211900
PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 10-34
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
300 PM EDT MON JUN 21 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:    RECONFIGURATION OF PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES IN
           SOUTHEAST ARIZONA EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 15 2010

EFFECTIVE FRIDAY OCTOBER 15 2010 AT 12 NOON MOUNTAIN STANDARD
TIME /MST/ OR 1900 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/...THE NWS
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ IN TUCSON AZ /TWC/ WILL
RECONFIGURE ITS PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES FOR AREAS IN SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA.

THESE CHANGES WILL RECONFIGURE AND RENAME ALL EIGHT CURRENT
PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...REPLACING THEM WITH
15 NEW PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES. THESE CHANGES WILL IMPROVE PUBLIC
FORECAST AND WARNING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BY BETTER ACCOUNTING
FOR CLIMATOLOGICAL AND TOPOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES.

CURRENT WFO TWC PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES AZZ019 AND AZZ029 THROUGH
AZZ035 WILL BE REPLACED BY NEW ZONES AZZ501 THROUGH AZZ515. A
DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW ZONES FOLLOWS IN TABLE 1. NOTE THIS
CHANGE DOES NOT AFFECT CURRENT WFO TWC FIRE WEATHER ZONES.

TABLE 1.  NEW WFO TWC AZ PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES:

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ501.  ZONE NAME - WESTERN PIMA COUNTY.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE INCLUDES AJO AND ORGAN PIPE CACTUS
NATIONAL MONUMENT AND IS SIMILAR TO CURRENT AZZ030.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ502.  ZONE NAME - TOHONO O ODHAM NATION.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE IS SIMILAR TO CURRENT AZZ031 BUT
ENCOMPASSES THE ENTIRE TOHONO O ODHAM NATION WITHIN PIMA AND
PINAL COUNTIES BELOW 4000 FEET AND INCLUDES THE CITY OF SELLS.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ503.  ZONE NAME - UPPER SANTA CRUZ RIVER AND
ALTAR VALLEYS.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE INCLUDES MUCH OF SANTA CRUZ
COUNTY...CURRENT AZZ032...BUT ALSO INCLUDES SMALL PORTIONS OF
PIMA AND COCHISE COUNTIES. THIS ZONE INCLUDES THE CITY OF
NOGALES AND OTHER ELEVATIONS BELOW 5000 FEET SOUTH OF THE TUCSON
METRO AREA. A NUMBER OF SMALL SKY ISLANDS JUST ABOVE 5000
FEET...REPRESENTING PEAKS OF THE SIERRITA AND ATASCOSA
MOUNTAINS...ARE ALSO INCLUDED.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ504.  ZONE NAME - TUCSON METRO AREA.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE IS SIMILAR TO CURRENT AZZ033 BUT
ONLY INCLUDES ELEVATIONS BELOW 5000 FEET.  THIS ZONE INCLUDES
TUCSON...GREEN VALLEY...MARANA AND VAIL.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ505.  ZONE NAME - SOUTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE INCLUDES THE LOWLANDS BELOW 2500
FEET WHICH GENERALLY BORDER INTERSTATE 10 IN SOUTHERN PINAL
COUNTY AND INCLUDES ELOY AND PICACHO PEAK STATE PARK.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ506.  ZONE NAME - SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE CONSISTS OF THE EASTERN HALF OF
CURRENT AZZ029.  IT INCLUDES ELEVATIONS BETWEEN 2500 AND 5000
FEET AS WELL AS LOWER ELEVATIONS SUCH AS THE LOWER SAN PEDRO
RIVER VALLEY IN SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY. THIS ZONE INCLUDES
KEARNY...MAMMOTH AND ORACLE.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ507.  ZONE NAME - UPPER SAN PEDRO RIVER VALLEY.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE PRIMARILY CONTAINS THE WESTERN
THIRD OF COCHISE COUNTY BELOW 5000 FEET BUT CONTAINS SMALL

TOMBSTONE...AS WELL AS KARTCHNER CAVERNS STATE PARK.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ508.  ZONE NAME - EASTERN COCHISE COUNTY BELOW
5000 FEET.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE CONTAINS THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF
COCHISE COUNTY BELOW 5000 FEET...INCLUDING THE SULPHUR SPRINGS

INCLUDED.  SMALL SKY ISLANDS JUST ABOVE 5000 FEET...REPRESENTING
PEAKS OF THE PELONCILLO MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST COCHISE
COUNTY...ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS ZONE.  THIS ZONE CONTAINS THE
CITIES OF DOUGLAS AND WILLCOX.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ509.  ZONE NAME - UPPER GILA RIVER AND ARAVAIPA
VALLEYS.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE CONSISTS OF NEARLY ALL OF GRAHAM
AND GREENLEE COUNTIES BELOW 5000 FEET...EXCEPT FOR THOSE AREAS
OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTHWEST OF THE GALIURO
MOUNTAINS. A NUMBER OF SMALL SKY ISLANDS JUST ABOVE 5000
FEET...REPRESENTING PEAKS OF THE PELONCILLO AND WHITLOCK
MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHEAST GRAHAM AND SOUTHERN GREENLEE COUNTIES...
ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS ZONE.  THIS ZONE CONTAINS THE CITIES
OF CLIFTON AND SAFFORD.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ510.  ZONE NAME - WHITE MOUNTAINS OF GRAHAM AND
GREENLEE COUNTIES.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE CONTAINS THE CONTIGUOUS AREAS OF

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ511.  ZONE NAME - GALIURO AND PINALENO
MOUNTAINS.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE CONSISTS OF NONCONTIGUOUS AREAS
ABOVE 5000 FEET INCLUDING THE GALIURO...PINALENO...SANTA TERESA
AND WINCHESTER MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST GRAHAM AND EXTREME
NORTHWEST COCHISE COUNTIES. THIS ZONE INCLUDES MOUNT GRAHAM.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ512.  ZONE DAME - CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE CONTAINS NONCONTIGUOUS AREAS ABOVE
5000 FEET IN SOUTHEAST COCHISE COUNTY. IT PRIMARILY CONSISTS OF
THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS BUT ALSO INCLUDES SMALLER MOUNTAIN
RANGES SUCH AS THE DOS CABEZAS...PEDRAGOSAS...SWISSHELMS AND THE
SECTION OF THE PELONCILLOS NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER.  THIS
ZONE INCLUDES THE CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ513.  ZONE NAME - DRAGOON/MULE/HUACHUCA AND
SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE CONSISTS OF NONCONTIGUOUS AREAS
ABOVE 5000 FEET... INCLUDING THE DRAGOON...LITTLE DRAGOON...
MULE...HUACHUCA...PATAGONIA...SANTA RITA AND WHETSTONE MOUNTAINS
OF WESTERN COCHISE COUNTY AND ADJACENT SECTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
PIMA AND SOUTHEAST SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES.  THIS ZONE INCLUDES THE
CITY OF BISBEE ALONG WITH CANELO HILLS AND MADERA CANYON.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ514.  ZONE NAME - SANTA CATALINA AND RINCON
MOUNTAINS.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE CONSISTS OF NONCONTIGUOUS AREAS
ABOVE 5000 FEET INCLUDING THE SANTA CATALINA AND RINCON
MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST PIMA AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST PINAL
COUNTIES.  THIS ZONE INCLUDES MOUNT LEMMON AND SUMMERHAVEN.

ZONE NUMBER - AZZ515.  ZONE NAME - BABOQUIVARI MOUNTAINS.
ZONE DESCRIPTION - THIS ZONE CONSISTS OF CONTIGUOUS AREAS OF THE
TOHONO O ODHAM NATION ABOVE 4000 FEET INCLUDING THE BABOQUIVARI
MOUNTAINS. THIS ZONE INCLUDES KITT PEAK.

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIFICATION/RESOURCES/TWC_ZONES.PDF

TABLE 2.  WFO TWC PUBLIC WEATHER PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THIS
RECONFIGURATION OF PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES:

PRODUCT NAME                  WMO HEADING         AWIPS ID
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT     WWUS85 KTWC         SPSTWC
ZONE FORECAST                 FPUS55 KTWC         ZFPTWC
SHORT TERM FORECAST           FPUS75 KTWC         NOWTWC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK     FLUS45 KTWC         HWOTWC
WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS       WWUS45 KTWC         WSWTWC
NON PRECIPITATION PRODUCTS    WWUS75 KTWC         NPWTWC
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT  NOUS45 KTWC         PNSTWC
FLOOD WATCH                   WGUS65 KTWC         FFATWC
TABULAR STATE FORECAST        FPUS65 KTWC         SFTTWC

PARTNERS AND USERS MUST REPROGRAM AFFECTED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
TO CONTINUE CORRECTLY PROCESSING PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THIS
RECONFIGURATION.  THESE CHANGES ONLY AFFECT PRODUCTS THAT USE
THE ZONE FORM OF THE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/ AND DO NOT
AFFECT PRODUCTS THAT USE THE COUNTY FORM OF UGC.

UPDATED PUBLIC ZONE SHAPEFILES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/PUBZONE.HTM

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...PLEASE CONTACT:

KEN DROZD
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WFO TUCSON ARIZONA
520 N. PARK AVE.
TUCSON AZ 85719
KENNETH.DROZD@xxxxxxxx
520-670-5156 X223

NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIF.HTM

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