NOUS41 KWBC 061836
PNSWSH
Service Change Notice 11-41
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
210 PM EST Tue Dec 6 2011
To: Subscribers:
-Family of Services
-NOAA Weather Wire Service
-Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
-NOAAPORT
Other NWS Partners and NWS Employees
From: Therese Z. Pierce
Chief, Marine and Coastal Weather Services Branch
Eli Jacks
Chief, Fire and Public Weather Services Branch
Subject: Changes in Marine, Fire and Public Weather Forecast
Zones for Portions of the Lower James, York, and
Rappahannock Rivers in Southeastern Virginia Effective
April 3, 2012
Effective Tuesday April 3, 2012 at 2:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), 1800 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Wakefield (AKQ), Virginia, will reconfigure its marine, fire and public weather zones to transfer portions of the lower James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers from fire and public weather zones to marine zones.
Currently there are four marine zones covering the lower Chesapeake Bay. Four new marine zones will be created covering the portions of the James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers removed from the fire and public weather zones. Customer feedback has identified these areas as containing high ship traffic. Reconfiguration will improve the precision of marine warnings, forecasts, and services by allowing them to be more area specific.
Effective April 3, 2012, WFO Wakefield marine area of responsibility will be expanded to cover the following:
1). A new marine zone, UGC ANZ635 (Rappahannock River from Urbanna to Windmill Point) will be created from the Rappahanock River portions of fire and public weather zones VAZ078 (Lancaster) and VAZ085 (Middlesex).
2). A new marine zone, UGC ANZ636 (York River), will be created from the York River portions of fire and public weather zones VAZ084 (Gloucester), VAZ090 (James City) and VAZ091 (York).
3). A new marine zone, UGC ANZ637 (James River from Jamestown to the James River Bridge will be created from the James River portions of fire and public weather zones VAZ089 (Surry), VAZ093 (Isle of Wight) and VAZ094 (Newport News/Hampton).
4). A new marine zone, UGC ANZ638 (James River from the James River Bridge to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel) will be created from the James River portions of fire and public weather zones VAZ095 (Norfolk/Portsmouth) and VAZ096 (Suffolk).
The following fire and public weather zones from WFO Wakefield will be affected (none are outside WFO Wakefield marine area of responsibility):
Lancaster VAZ078
Gloucester VAZ084
Middlesex VAZ085
Surry VAZ089
James City VAZ090
York VAZ091
Isle of Wight VAZ093
Newport News/Hampton VAZ094
Norfolk/Portsmouth VAZ095
Suffolk VAZ096
Effective April 3, 2012 the marine zone with Universal Geographic Code (UGC) designation of ANZ632, currently named Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek, VA, will undergo the following changes:
1). ANZ632, named Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek VA, will be split into two zones. The marine area east of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel will remain unchanged. The marine area west of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel will be merged with new marine zone ANZ638, James River from the James River Bridge to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
Table 1 below lists the current marine zones and corresponding Universal Geographic Codes (UGCs) for which WFO Wakefield issues forecasts and warnings:
Current Marine Zone Name Current UGC
------------------------ -----------
Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point ANZ630
to Windmill Point
Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point ANZ631
to New Point Comfort
Chesapeake Bay from New Point ANZ632
Comfort to Little Creek, VA
Currituck Sound ANZ633
Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek ANZ634
to Cape Henry, VA, including the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
Coastal Waters from Fenwick Island, DE ANZ650
to Chincoteague, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Chincoteague ANZ652
to Parramore Island, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Parramore Island ANZ654
to Cape Charles Light, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Cape Charles Light ANZ656
to VA/NC border out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from VA/NC border ANZ658
to Currituck Beach Light, NC out
to 20 nm
Waters from Fenwick Island, DE to ANZ670
Currituck Beach Light, NC from 20
to 40 nm
Table 2 below lists the marine zones and corresponding
UGCs for which WFO Wakefield will issue forecasts and warnings effective April 3, 2012.
Marine Zone Name New UGC
---------------- -------
Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point ANZ630
to Windmill Point
Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point ANZ631
to New Point Comfort
Chesapeake Bay from New Point ANZ632
Comfort to Little Creek, VA
Currituck Sound ANZ633
Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek ANZ634
to Cape Henry, VA, including the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
Rappahannock River from Urbanna to ANZ635
Windmill Point
York River ANZ636
James River from Jamestown to the James ANZ637
River Bridge
James River from James River Bridge to ANZ638
Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
Coastal Waters from Fenwick Island, DE ANZ650
to Chincoteague, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Chincoteague ANZ652
to Parramore Island, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Parramore Island ANZ654
to Cape Charles Light, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Cape Charles Light ANZ656
To VA/NC border out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from VA/NC border ANZ658
to Currituck Beach Light, NC out
to 20 nm
Waters from Fenwick Island, DE to ANZ670
Currituck Beach Light, NC from 20
to 40 nm
Graphical images of the current and future marine, fire and public zones listed in Tables 1 and 3 are online at:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/akq/news/AKQMZ.html
TABLE 3. NWS products affected by the WFO Wakefield marine, fire and public weather zone changes effective April 3, 2012:
PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID
------------ ----------- --------
COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FZUS51 KAKQ CWFAKQ
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING WHUS51 KAKQ SMWAKQ
MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT FZUS71 KAKQ MWSAKQ
MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE WHUS71 KAKQ MWWAKQ
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WTUS81 KAKQ HLSAKQ
WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION WWUS61 KAKQ WCNAKQ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FLUS41 KAKQ HWOAKQ
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE WHUS41 KAKQ CFWAKQ
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WUUS51 KAKQ SVRAKQ
TORNADO WARNING WFUS51 KAKQ TORAKQ
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT WWUS51 KAKQ SVSAKQ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WWUS81 KAKQ SPSAKQ
ZONE FORECAST FPUS51 KAKQ ZFPAKQ
SHORT TERM FORECAST FPUS71 KAKQ NOWAKQ
TSUNAMI MESSAGE WEXX20 PAAQ TSUAT1
FIRE WEATHER FORECAST FNUS51 KAKQ FWFAKQ
RED FLAG WATCH/WARNING WWUS81 KAKQ RFWAKQ
NATIONAL FIRE DANGER FNUS81 KAKQ FWMAKQ
RATING SYSTEM FORECAST
WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE WOUS64 KWNS WOUn (n=1-9)
Partners and users of WFO AKQ products must reprogram affected hardware and software to continue correctly processing the products in Table 3.
Also partners and users accessing NWS graphical marine, fire and public forecasts must download updated zone map shapefiles to correctly view forecasts for the lower Chesapeake Bay.
Updated zone map shapefiles containing the new zones are available online at:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/marinezones.htm
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/pubzone.htm
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/firezone.htm
If you have any questions or comments about this reconfiguration of marine, fire and public weather zones please contact:
Mike Montefusco Mark Willis
Marine Program Leader National Weather Service
WFO Wakefield Eastern Region Headquarters
10009 General Mahone Highway 630 Johnson Avenue
Wakefield, VA 23888 Bohemia, NY 11716-2618
757-899-4200 631-244-0122
michael.montefusco@noaa.gov mark.willis@noaa.gov
National Weather Service Change Notices are online at:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm
$$