NOUS41 KWBC 281843
PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 09-02
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
145 PM EST WED JAN 28 2009

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:        CREATION OF THREE NEW OFFSHORE MARINE ZONES...AN 
                EXPERIMENTAL SEASONAL MARINE SYNOPSIS AND AN 
                EXPERIMENTAL SEASONAL OFFSHORE FORECAST PRODUCT 
                FOR U.S. ARCTIC OCEAN WATERS NORTH OF ALASKA: 
                EFFECTIVE JUNE 2 2009 

ON TUESDAY JUNE 2 2009 AT 1200 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME 
/UTC/ OR 400 AM ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME /ADT/...THE NWS WEATHER 
FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ IN FAIRBANKS ALASKA WILL IMPLEMENT 
THREE NEW MARINE ZONES AND A SYNOPSIS FOR ITS OFFSHORE 
WATERS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY IN U.S. ARCTIC WATERS. THE NEW 
ZONES AND SYNOPSIS ARE LISTED IN TABLE 1. THE NEW PRODUCT 
NAME AND IDENTIFIERS CREATED ARE LISTED IN TABLE 2.

THE EXPERIMENTAL OFFSHORE FORECAST PRODUCT AND MARINE 
SYNOPSIS FOR THESE NEW ZONES WILL BE ISSUED NO EARLIER THAN 
JUNE 2 2009. SEASONAL AVAILABLILTY OF THE OFFSHORE FORECAST 
WILL DEPEND ON THE EXTENT OF OPEN WATER VERSUS SEA ICE 
COVERAGE. DURING THIS SEASON THE EXPERIMENTAL FORECAST 
PRODUCT AND MARINE SYNOPSIS SHOULD BE ISSUED TWICE DAILY AT 
4 AM AND 4 PM LOCAL ALASKA TIME...WITH UPDATES AS NEEDED.

THIS IS AN EXPERIMENTAL SERVICE. USERS OF THE PRODUCT ARE 
ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK BY USING THE BRIEF SURVEY AND 
COMMENT FORM AVAILABLE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

  WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SURVEY/NWS-SURVEY.PHP?CODE=OFFSHOREARCTIC

NWS WILL EVALUATE THE SURVEYS DURING AND AFTER THE ARCTIC 
WATERS OFFSHORE FORECAST SEASON. IF FEEDBACK FROM MARINERS 
IS FAVORABLE...THE NWS WILL ISSUE THE SEASONAL OFFSHORE 
FORECAST PERMANENTLY.

AN UPDATED ZONE MAP SHAPEFILE WITH THE NEW ZONES IS 
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE /USE LOWER 
CASE LETTERS/:

  WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/MARINEZONES.HTM

TABLE 1. NEW OFFSHORE MARINE ZONES AND SYNOPSIS FOR WFO 
FAIRBANKS OFFSHORE WATERS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY WITH 
CORRESPONDING UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODES /UGC/.

NEW MARINE ZONES			    UGC
WESTERN US ARCTIC OFFSHORE                  PKZ500	
CENTRAL US ARCTIC OFFSHORE                  PKZ505				
EASTERN US ARCTIC OFFSHORE                  PKZ510
SYNOPSIS FOR US ARCTIC OFFSHORE             PKZ599

TABLE 2. PRODUCTS THAT WILL BE CREATED AND AFFECTED BY NEW 
MARINE ZONES AND UGCS.

PRODUCT NAME                    WMO HEADING       AWIPS ID
OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR	FZAK69 PAFG       OFFAFG
US ARCTIC

CUSTOMERS MUST REPROGRAM AFFECTED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TO 
RECEIVE THIS NEW PRODUCT AND NEW UGCS.

BOTH EXAMPLES OF THE NEW TEXT PRODUCTS AND MAPS SHOWING THE 
NEW MARINE ZONES ARE POSTED AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

  HTTP://PAFG.ARH.NOAA.GOV/ARCTIC.PHP  

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE CHANGES...PLEASE CONTACT:

  JOHN DRAGOMIR
  METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE     
  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
  930 KOYUKUK DRIVE               
  FAIRBANKS AK 99775               
  907.458.3704       
  JOHN.DRAGOMIR@NOAA.GOV       

NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE 
LETTERS/:

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

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