NOUS41 KWBC 081545
PNSWSH	

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1045 PM EDT THU JAN 8 2009

TO:	 SUBSCRIBERS:
         -FAMILY OF SERVICES
         -NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
         -EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
         OTHER NWS PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:    ROBERT BUNGE
	 INTERNET DISSEMINATION OFFICER
         OFFICE OF THE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

SUBJECT: SOLICITING COMMENTS BY NOVEMBER 30 2009 ON TESTING OF 
         NWS MARINE POINT FORECAST PAGES
 

BEGINNING WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14...ASSUMING NO CRITICAL WEATHER... 
NWS WILL START TESTING MARINE POINT FORECAST AND HOURLY WEATHER 
GRAPHS PAGES FOR COASTAL MARINE FORECAST ZONES FROM NWS WEATHER 
FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ WEB PAGES. SIMILAR MARINE POINT FORECAST 
PAGES ARE CURRENTLY IN OPERATION FROM WFO WEB PAGES WITH 
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE GREAT LAKES.  

THESE FORECAST WEB PAGES USE INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL DIGITAL 
FORECAST DATABASE /NDFD/ TO AUTOMATICALLY GENERATE FORECAST 
WORDING FOR THE SELECTED GRID POINT AND GRAPHICAL ICONS.  
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IMPORTANT TO MARINERS...INCLUDING CURRENT 
MARINE WATCHES... WARNINGS...ADVISORIES...NEARBY SURFACE 
OBSERVATIONS AND OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION IS PROVIDED IN AN 
EFFORT TO PROVIDE ONE-STOP SERVICE.

FORECAST INFORMATION FOR THESE MARINE POINT FORECAST PAGES IS 
BASED ON GRIDDED DATA. EACH GRID SQUARE IS EITHER 2.5 X 2.5 KM OR 
5 X 5 KM PER SIDE DEPENDING ON AVAILABLE RESOLUTION. THE SELECTED 
FORECAST AREA /GRID SQUARE/ IS PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON A MAP ON 
THE MARINE POINT FORECAST PAGE. OTHER DESIRED MARINE FORECAST 
POINTS CAN BE SELECTED FROM THIS SAME MAP.

MARINERS ARE CAUTIONED THAT THESE FORECASTS ARE VALID ONLY FOR THE 
SELECTED GRID POINT...NOT FOR THE LARGER SURROUNDING AREAS. 
MARINERS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO ALSO CHECK MARINE FORECASTS FOR 
SURROUNDING AREAS OR USE LINK ON THE POINT FORECAST PAGE TO THE 
SURROUNDING ZONE FORECAST.

THE FOLLOWING NWS OFFICES WILL TAKE PART IN THIS TEST. THE OFFICE 
NAME AND URL IS PROVIDED BELOW:

SEATTLE WA / WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
PORTLAND OR / WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND
MEDFORD OR / WEATHER.GOV/MEDFORD
EUREKA CA / WEATHER.GOV/EUREKA
MONTEREY/SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CA / WEATHER.GOV/SANFRANCISCO
LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA / WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES
SAN DIEGO CA / WEATHER.GOV/SANDIEGO
HONOLULU HI / WEATHER.GOV/HFO
BROWNSVILLE TX / WEATHER.GOV/BROWNSVILLE
CORPUS CHRISTI TX / WEATHER.GOV/CORPUSCHRISTI  
HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX / WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/HGX/ 
LAKE CHARLES LA / WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LCH/ 
NEW ORLEANS LA / WEATHER.GOV/NEWORLEANS  
MOBILE AL / WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MOB/
TALLAHASSEE FL / WEATHER.GOV/TALLAHASSEE  
TAMPA BAY FL / WEATHER.GOV/TAMPA  
KEY WEST FL / WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST  
MIAMI FL / WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI  
MELBOURNE FL / WEATHER.GOV/MELBOURNE  
JACKSONVILLE FL / WEATHER.GOV/JACKSONVILLE  
SAN JUAN PR / WEATHER.GOV/SANJUAN
WAKEFIELD VA /WEATHER.GOV/AKQ

ATLANTIC COASTAL OFFICES NORTH OF WAKEFIELD BY 1 APRIL 2009

ADDITIONAL NWS OFFICES MAY BE ADDED AT A LATER DATE. TO ACCESS 
THESE MARINE POINT FORECAST PAGES...CLICK ON THE APPROPRIATE LOCAL 
NWS FORECAST PAGE AT ONE OF THE LINKS ABOVE... THEN CLICK ON THE 
DESIRED POINT IN THE COASTAL WATERS AREA DISPLAYED ON THE MAP.

NWS SOUTHERN REGION OFFICES WILL CONTAIN A LINK TO THE COASTAL 
WATERS ZONE FORECAST. THIS ZONE FORECAST WILL CONTAIN A MAP FROM 
WHICH A POINT MARINE FORECAST PAGE CAN BE FOUND.

NWS WILL BE ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON THIS SERVICE AT /USE LOWERCASE/ 
THROUGH NOVEMBER 30 2009:

  HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SURVEY/NWS-SURVEY.PHP?CODE=MPF

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...PLEASE CONTACT: 

  ROBERT BUNGE
  INTERNET DISSEMINATION OFFICER
  1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
  SILVER SPRING MD 20910
  ROBERT.BUNGE@NOAA.GOV
  301-713-1381 X140

NATIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS ARE ONLINE AT  
/USE LOWERCASE/:

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

$$
NNNN