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NOUS41 KWBC 121651
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
100 PM EDT FRI SEP 11 1997
TO FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS... NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS... OTHER NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS... NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM THERESE Z. PIERCE... CHIEF... HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
SERVICES
SUBJECT RECONFIGURATION OF PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES IN MONTANA...
EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 15 1997
THE NWS WILL RECONFIGURE PUBLIC ZONE FORECAST AREAS IN MONTANA ON
OCTOBER 15 1997... AT 1100 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME /UTC/... 4
A.M. PDT... 5 A.M. MST. THESE RECONFIGURATIONS WILL PROVIDE
BETTER SITE-SPECIFIC FORECASTS BY AFFORDING FORECASTERS THE
NEEDED FLEXIBILITY TO GROUP NEW SMALLER ZONES TOGETHER OR
SEPARATE THEM TO MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT ONGOING AND PREDICTED
WEATHER.
TABLE 1 LISTS THE PRODUCT CATEGORIES AFFECTED. TABLE 2 IS A LIST
OF THE NEW ZONES. A ZONE WILL BE NAMED EITHER BY COUNTY OR
COUNTIES OR OTHER RECOGNIZABLE GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.
MANY PRODUCTS ISSUED /NOT JUST ZONE FORECASTS/ WILL BE AFFECTED
BY THESE ZONE RECONFIGURATIONS. THIS IS BECAUSE THE Z FORM OF
THE UNIVERSAL GENERIC CODE /UGC/ USED IN THESE PRODUCTS WILL
CONTAIN THE NEW ZONE NUMBERS TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC AREAS WITHIN
THE STATE. THE CATEGORIES OF AFFECTED PRODUCTS THAT USE THE Z
FORM OF THE UGC ARE LISTED IN TABLE 1 WITH THEIR NWWS AND FOS
IDENTIFIERS. CUSTOMERS WHO SELECT INFORMATION FOR SPECIFIC ZONES
WILL NEED TO USE THE NEW UGC/S FOR THE RECONFIGURED ZONES.
THESE ZONE CHANGES UPDATE PAGES A-113 AND 114... AND A-121 AND
122 OF NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OPERATIONS MANUAL CHAPTER C-11...
ZONE AND LOCAL FORECASTS... APPENDIX A- ZONE FORECAST MAPS.
UPDATED ZONE MAPS CAN BE DOWNLOADED OFF THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE
/IN ALL LOWER CASE/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/MODERNIZE/ST-MAPS/MAPS.HTM
HARD COPIES OF ZONE MAPS CAN BE REQUESTED FROM:
NWS/HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES /OM12/
1325 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY
SILVER SPRING MD 20910
301-713-1726 X149 OR X109
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION YOU MAY CONTACT:
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE
5324 TRI-HILL FRONTAGE ROAD
GREAT FALLS MONTANA 59404
406-453-9957
THIS AND OTHER PENDING NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS ARE
POSTED ON: HTTP//WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
TABLE 1. NEW ZONES EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 15 1997 AT 1100 UTC.
UGC Z MONTANA ZONE NAME
MTZ001- KOOTENAI/CABINET REGION
MTZ002- WEST GLACIER/BOB MARSHALL REGION
MTZ003- FLATHEAD/MISSION VALLEYS
MTZ004- LOWER CLARK FORK REGION
MTZ006- BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS
MTZ007- BLACKFOOT/BUTTE/PINTLAR REGION
MTZ008- BEAVERHEAD
MTZ035- YELLOWSTONE
MTZ038- BIG HORN
TABLE 2. PRODUCT CATEGORIES AFFECTED BY ZONE RECONFIGURATION.
A. PRODUCTS ISSUED BY WSFO GREAT FALLS /GTF/
PRODUCT NWWS WMO/FOS IDS
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT GTFZFPMT FPUS55 KTFX
WINTER WEATHER WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY GTFWSWGTF WWUS46 KGTF
NON-PRECIPITATION WATCH/WARNING/ GTFNPWGTF WWUS45 KGTF
ADVISORY
FLASH FLOOD WATCH GTFFFAGTF RWUS31 KGTF
STATE FORECAST PRODUCT GTFSFPGTF FPUS1 KGTF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT GTFSPSGTF WWUS35 KGTF
FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT GTFFFSGTF RWUS32 KGTF
STATE WEATHER ROUNDUP GTFSWRMT ASUS45 KGTF
B. PRODUCTS ISSUED BY WSFO GREAT FALLS /GTF/... BILLINGS
/BIL/... MISSOULA /MSO/... DEPENDING ON THE COUNTY WARNING AREA
RESPONSIBILITY.
/XXX = GTF... MSO... BIL/
PRODUCT NWWS WMO/FOS
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT GTFSVSXXX WWUS34 KXXX
SHORT TERM FORECAST GTFNOWXXX FPUS75 KXXX
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT GTFSPSXXX WWUS35 KXXX
FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT GTFFFSXXX RWUS32 KXXX
FLASH FLOOD WARNING GTFFFWXXX RWUS1 KXXX
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT GTFPNSXXX ABUS34 KXXX
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE GTFCEMXXX MMUS40 KXXX
LOCAL STORM REPORT GTFLSRXXX WWUS30 KXXX
END
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