NOUS41 KWBC 041155 PNSWSH SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 08-43 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC 755 AM EDT WED JUN 4 2008 TO: SUBSCRIBERS: -FAMILY OF SERVICES -NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE -EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK OTHER NWS PARTNERS...USERS AND EMPLOYEES FROM: THERESE Z. PIERCE CHIEF...MARINE AND COASTAL SERVICES BRANCH SUBJECT: IMPLEMENTING IMPROVED MARINE ZONE COVERAGE ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS OF PUERTO RICO AND THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS: EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1 2008 EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 1 2008 AT 1430 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/ OR 1030 AM ATLANTIC STANDARD TIME /AST/...THE NWS FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ IN SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO WILL RECONFIGURE ITS CURRENT COASTAL WATERS FORECAST ZONES FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS. THIS RECONFIGURATION WILL PROVIDE BETTER FORECAST SERVICES BY REALIGNING THE COASTAL ZONES FOR CLIMATOLOGICAL... GEOGRAPHICAL...AND BATHYMETRICAL EFFECTS. SIX NEW NEAR SHORE ZONES HAVE BEEN CREATED TO BETTER ACCOUNT FOR DIURNAL AND NOCTURNAL WIND FLUCTUATIONS FOUND IN THE TROPICS AS WELL AS SHALLOW WATER WAVE PROCESSES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO DIFFERING SEA STATES. THE REMAINING ZONES HAVE BEEN REALIGNED TO BETTER ACCOUNT FOR THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ATLANTIC WATERS AND CARIBBEAN WATERS. SEE TABLE 3 FOR A LIST OF ALL THESE NEW ZONES EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1 2008. WFO SAN JUAN WILL BE ISSUING FORECASTS AND WARNINGS VIA THE PRODUCTS LISTED IN TABLE 1 FOR ALL NEW ZONES LISTED IN TABLE 3 EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1 2008. TABLE 2 LISTS ALL OF THE CURRENT ZONES FOR WFO SAN JUAN. THESE ZONES WILL NO LONGER EXIST EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1 2008. TABLE 1. WFO SAN JUAN PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THE MARINE ZONE CHANGES EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1 2008. PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FZCA52 TJSJ CWFSJU COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FZCA52 TJSJ CWFSPN /SPANISH VERSION/ MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE WHCA72 TJSJ MWWSJU MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE WHCA72 TJSJ MWWSPN /SPANISH VERSION/ SPECIAL MARINE WARNING WHCA52 TJSJ SMWSJU SPECIAL MARINE WARNING WHCA52 TJSJ SMWSPN /SPANISH VERSION/ MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT FZCA72 TJSJ MWSSJU MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT FZCA72 TJSJ MWSSPN /SPANISH VERSION/ HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WWCA31 TJSJ HLSSJU HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WWCA39 TJSJ HLSSPN /SPANISH VERSION/ HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FLCA42 TJSJ HWOSJU SHORT TERM FORECAST FPCA72 TJSJ NOWSJU TABLE 2. CURRENT MARINE ZONES AND CORRESPONDING UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODES /UGC/S FOR WFO SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO. THESE ZONE NAMES AND UGCS WILL NO LONGER EXIST EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1 2008. CURRENT MARINE ZONE NAME CURRENT UGC ATLANTIC WATERS NORTHWARD TO 19.5N AND AMZ710 BETWEEN 64W AND 68W FROM NORTHWEST COAST OF PUERTO RICO AT PUNTA CADENA EASTWARD TO MOUTH OF RIO GUAJATACA EXTENDING BEYOND 100 FATHOM LINE TO THE ANEGADA PASSAGE ATLANTIC NEARSHORE WATERS FROM MOUTH AMZ720 OF RIO GUAJATACA EASTWARD TO CABO SAN JUAN THEN EASTWARD TO CULEBRA ST. THOMAS ST. JOHN AND ADJACENT ISLANDS OUT TO 100 FATHOM LINE CARIBBEAN WATERS FROM PUNTA VIENTO TO AMZ730 CABO SAN JUAN EXTENDING SOUTHWARD TO 17N AND EASTWARD TO 64W INCLUDING THE CARIBBEAN WATERS OF CULEBRA AND VIEQUES AND OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS CARIBBEAN WATERS FROM PUNTA VIENTO AMZ740 TO PUNTA MELONES AND THE WATERS OUTSIDE OF 12 NM FROM PUNTA MELONES TO PUNTA CADENA EXTENDING SOUTHWARD OF TO 17N AND WESTWARD TO 68W NEARSHORE WATERS OF WEST COAST OF AMZ750 PUERTO RICO FROM PUNTA CADENA TO PUNTA MELONES WESTWARD OUT 12 NM TABLE 3. NEW MARINE ZONES AND CORRESPONDING UGCS. THESE ZONE NAMES AND UGCS TAKE EFFECT OCTOBER 1 2008. NEW MARINE ZONE NAME NEW UGC ATLANTIC WATERS OF PUERTO RICO AND USVI AMZ710 FROM 10 NM TO 19.5N COASTAL WATERS OF NORTHERN PUERTO RICO AMZ712 OUT 10 NM COASTAL WATERS OF NORTHERN USVI AND AMZ715 CULEBRA OUT 10 NM ANEGADA PASSAGE SOUTHWARD TO 17N AMZ722 COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHERN USVI- AMZ725 VIEQUES-AND EASTERN PUERTO RICO OUT 10 NM CARIBBEAN WATERS OF PUERTO RICO AMZ732 FROM 10 NM TO 17N COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHERN PUERTO RICO AMZ735 OUT 10 NM MONA PASSAGE SOUTHWARD TO 17N AMZ741 COASTAL WATERS OF NORTHWESTERN PUERTO RICO AMZ742 OUT 10 NM COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHWESTERN PUERTO RICO AMZ745 OUT 10 NM BECAUSE OF THESE RECONFIGURED MARINE ZONES...NEW MARINE ZONE NAMES AND NEW UGCS IN TABLE 3...CUSTOMERS MUST REPROGRAM AFFECTED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TO CONTINUE PROCESSING THE PRODUCTS IN TABLE 1. AN UPDATED ZONE MAP SHAPEFILE CONTAINING THE NEW BOUNDARIES FOR THESE MARINE ZONES IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/: WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/MARINEZONES.HTM A MAP SHOWING THE EXISTING AND ADDITIONAL MARINE ZONES THAT WILL BE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1 2008 IS POSTED ON THE WFO SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO MARINE PAGE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SJU/NEWS/2008/MARINE/INDEX.PHP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THESE CHANGES...CONTACT: SCOTT STRIPLING MELINDA BAILEY MARINE FOCAL POINT PUBLIC/MARINE METEOROLOGIST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 4000 CARR 190 SOUTHERN REGION HEADQUARTERS CAROLINA PR 00979 819 TAYLOR ST. RM 10A11 787-253-4501 FORT WORTH TX 76102 SCOTT.STRIPLING@NOAA.GOV 817-978-1100 X107 MELINDA.BAILEY@NOAA.GOV NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE/: HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM $$ NNNN