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PNSWSH	

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 08-34
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
945 AM EDT THU APR 30 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 MATAGORDA BAY TEXAS: EFFECTIVE 
         JUNE 3 2008

EFFECTIVE TUESDAY JUNE 3 2008 AT 1030 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL 
TIME /UTC/ OR 530 AM CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME /CDT/...THE NWS 
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON TEXAS WILL 
RECONFIGURE ITS CURRENT MARINE ZONES FOR MATAGORDA BAY.  
EAST MATAGORDA BAY WILL BE MERGED WITH THE REMAINDER OF 
MATAGORDA BAY. THIS CHANGE SHOULD RESULT IN BETTER FORECAST 
SERVICES BY REALIGNING THE BAY AND COASTAL GULF ZONES FOR 
CLIMATOLOGICAL...GEOGRAPHICAL...AND BATHYMETRICAL EFFECTS.

CURRENTLY MARINE ZONE GMZ350 EXTENDS FROM THE MATAGORDA SHIP 
CHANNEL TO FREEPORT OUT TO 20 NAUTICAL MILES /NM/... 
INCLUDING EAST MATAGORDA BAY. EFFECTIVE JUNE 3 2008 EAST 
MATAGORDA BAY WILL BE REMOVED FROM THIS COASTAL GULF ZONE 
AND BE PLACED INTO MATAGORDA BAY ZONE GMZ330.

THESE RECONFIGURED ZONES ARE LISTED IN TABLE 1 BELOW. WFO 
HOUSTON/GALVESTON WILL CONTINUE TO ISSUE FORECASTS AND 
WARNINGS FOR THE RECONFIGURED ZONES IN TABLE 1 VIA THE 
PRODUCTS LISTED TABLE 2.

TABLE 1. MARINE ZONES BEING RECONFIGURED EFFECTIVE JUNE 3 
2008. ZONE NAMES AND UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODES /UGC/ WILL 
NOT CHANGE ON JUNE 3 2008. 


RECONFIGURED MARINE ZONE     UGC       COMMENT 

MATAGORDA BAY		     GMZ330    NOW INCLUDES EAST 
				       MATAGORA BAY IN THIS
				       ZONE GROUP

COASTAL WATERS FROM 	     GMZ350    REMOVES EAST 
FREEPORT TO MATAGORDA		       MATAGORDA BAY
SHIP CHANNEL TO OUT                    FROM THIS ZONE GROUP
TO 20 NM		

BECAUSE THE MARINE ZONES IN TABLE 1 WILL NOT CHANGE NAME OR 
UGC...CUSTOMERS DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE ANY ACTION TO CONTINUE 
RECEIVING THE MARINE TEXT PRODUCTS LISTED IN TABLE 2 BELOW.  

CUSTOMERS PROVIDING NWS GRAPHIC MARINE FORECASTS MUST 
DOWNLOAD AN UPDATED ZONE MAP SHAPEFILE TO CORRECTLY PROVIDE 
GRAPHIC MARINE FORECASTS FOR EAST MATAGORDA BAY.

THIS UPDATED ZONE MAP SHAPEFILE 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 TRANSFER OF EAST MATAGORDA BAY FROM GMZ350 
TO GMZ330 IS POSTED ON THE WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON WEBSITE AT 
/USE LOWER CASE/: 

 WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/HGX/MARINE/POINT_CLICK_CHANGE.HTM

TABLE 2.  WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON MARINE TEXT PRODUCTS THAT 
USE THE UGC DESIGNATORS /Z/ INCLUDING MARINE ZONES GMZ350 
AND GMZ330. CUSTOMERS DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE ANY ACTION TO 
CONTINUE RECEIVING THESE TEXT PRODUCTS.

PRODUCT NAME    	     WMO HEADING	AWIPS ID

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST	     FZUS54 KHGX        CWFHGX
MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE       WHUS74 KHGX        MWWHGX
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING       WHUS54 KHGX        SMWHGX
MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT     FZUS74 KHGX       	MWSHGX
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT    WTUS84 KHGX	HLSHGX
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK    FLUS44 KHGX	HWOHGX
WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION    WWUS64 KHGX	WCNHGX
UPPER TEXAS TIDE FORECAST    SOUS44 KHGX	TIDHGX		
  AND INFORMATION

IF YOU QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS RECONFIGURATION OF 
THE COASTAL WATERS FORECAST ZONES...CONTACT:

BRIAN KYLE                    	MELINDA BAILEY
MARINE FOCAL POINT 		PUBLIC/MARINE METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX		SOUTHERN REGION HEADQUARTERS 
1353 FM 646, #202               819 TAYLOR ST. RM 10A11
DICKINSON, TX 77539             FORT WORTH TX 76102
281-337-5074                    817-978-1100 X107
BRIAN.KYLE@NOAA.GOV             MELINDA.BAILEY@NOAA.GOV

NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE POSTED AT /USE LOWER CASE/:
  
 HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM 
                                     
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