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-------- Original Message --------744 NOUS41 KWBC 181628
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 08-31
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1228 PM EDT FRI APR 18 2008
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-FAMILY OF SERVICES
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
OTHER NWS PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: ELI JACKS
CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT: CHANGES TO THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FIRE WEATHER ZONES IN
SOUTHEAST IDAHO EFFECTIVE MAY 8 2008
EFFECTIVE THURSDAY MAY 8 AT 1200 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/
THE NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ IN POCATELLO IDAHO /PIH/
WILL CHANGE SOUTHEAST IDAHO FIRE WEATHER ZONE BOUNDARIES AND ZONE
DESCRIPTOR NAMES.
THIS CHANGE SUPPORTS A MORE EFFICIENT FORECAST PROCESS AND PROVIDES NWS FIRE WEATHER PARTNERS WITH IMPROVED WATCH...WARNING AND FORECAST PRODUCTS. HISTORICALLY THERE IS A HIGH FREQUENCY OF LIGHTNING CAUSED FIRES ORIENTED ALONG A SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST AXIS IN THE SALMON RIVER MOUNTAINS EAST OF THE MIDDLE FORK SALMON RIVER. THIS AREA IS CURRENTLY REPRESENTED BY TWO WEST-EAST ORIENTED ZONES /IDZ405 AND IDZ406/ THAT SPAN A WIDE AREA WITH LARGE VARIATION IN TERRAIN AND FUEL TYPES. THIS RESULTS IN PLANNING FORECASTS THAT ARE BROAD AND GENERIC. THE CHANGE BEING IMPLEMENTED FOR THIS SEASON WILL SHIFT ORIENTATION OF THE FIRE WEATHER ZONES TO BETTER REFLECT LIGHTNING CLIMATOLOGY IN THE AREA AND PROVIDE ZONES MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH FIRE AGENCY DISPATCH BOUNDARIES. ONCE THIS CHANGE HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED...THE FOLLOWING GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTORS WILL BE USED IN ALL FIRE WEATHER FORECAST PRODUCTS ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST IDAHO:
FIRE WEATHER ZONE DESCRIPTOR ZONE NUMBER IDZ475 EAST SALMON RIVER MOUNTAINS/SALMON NFID475 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: THE WESTERN HALF OF THE SALMON- CHALLIS NATIONAL FOREST BETWEEN THE MIDDLE FORK SALMON RIVER AND THE SALMON RIVER MOUNTAINS. THE ZONE IS BORDERED ON THE NORTH BY THE NORTH LEMHI COUNTY LINE AND BORDERED ON THE SOUTH BY THE SALMON RIVER.
IDZ476 LEMHI AND LOST RIVER RANGE/CHALLIS NFIDZ476 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: ALL OF THE LAND FROM THE SALMON RIVER MOUNTAINS TO THE MOUTH OF THE BIRCH CREEK VALLEY LITTLE LOST RIVER VALLEY AND BIG LOST RIVER VALLEY. THE ZONE IS BORDERED ON THE NORTH BY THE MONTANA STATE LINE AND BORDERED ON THE SOUTHWEST BY THE SAWTOOTH NATIONAL FOREST.
IDZ477 SAWTOOTH RANGE/NORTHERN SAWTOOTH NFIDZ477 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: THE NORTHERN SAWTOOTH NATIONAL FOREST AND CAMAS PRAIRIE. THE ZONE IS BORDERED ON THE NORTH BY THE SALMON RIVER AND TO THE NORTHWEST BY THE PIONEER MOUNTAINS. THE ZONE IS BORDERED TO THE WEST BY THE BOISE NATIOAL FOREST AND TO THE SOUTH BY THE NORTHERN GOODING AND LINCOLN COUNTY LINES.
IDZ409 MIDDLE SNAKE RIVER VALLEY/TWIN FALLS BLMIDZ409 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: PORTIONS OF THE MIDDLE SNAKE RIVER VALLEY AND CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT. THE ZONE IS BORDERED TO THE WEST BY THE WESTERN LINCOLN AND MINIDOKA COUNTY LINES AND TO THE SOUTH BY THE SNAKE RIVER. THE ZONE IS BORDERED TO THE NORTH BY THE LITTLE LOST RIVER AND TO THE EAST BY CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT.
IDZ410 UPPER SNAKE RIVER VALLEY/IDAHO FALLS BLMIDZ410 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: THE UPPER SNAKE RIVER VALLEY. THE ZONE IS BORDERED TO THE NORTH BY THE TARGHEE NATIONAL FOREST AND TO THE EAST BY THE CARIBOU NATIONAL FOREST. THE ZONE IS BORDERED TO THE WEST BY CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT AND TO THE SOUTH BY THE SNAKE RIVER.
IDZ413 CARIBOU RANGE/CARIBOU NFIDZ413 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: THE ZONE BOUNDARY WAS UPDATED FOR BETTER MAPPING OF THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF AMERICAN FALLS RESERVOIR.
IDZ403 NORTHERN BOISE NATIONAL FORESTIDZ403 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: THE EASTERN BOUNDARY WAS CORRECTED SO THAT THE LITTLE CREEK RAWS OBSERVING SITE CORRECTLY LIES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE MIDDLE FORK OF THE SALMON RIVER. THE RAWS SITE WILL NOW BE CORRECTLY LOCATED WITHIN FIRE WEATHER ZONE IDZ475. NWS WATCH...WARNING AND FORECAST PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THESE CHANGES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES IDZ475...IDZ476...IDZ477...IDZ409... IDZ410...AND IDZ413
PRODUCT WMO HEADING AWIPS IDENTIFIER ------------------------------------------------------------- FIRE WEATHER WATCH WWUS85 KPIH RFWPIH RED FLAG WARNING WWUS85 KPIH RFWPIH FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FNUS55 KPIH FWFPIH FORECAST NATIONAL FIRE DANGER RATING FNUS85 KPIH FWMPIH SYSTEM FORECAST FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES IDZ403 PRODUCT WMO HEADING AWIPS IDENTIFIER ------------------------------------------------------------- FIRE WEATHER WATCH WWUS85 KBOI RFWBOI RED FLAG WARNING WWUS85 KBOI RFWBOI FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FNUS55 KBOI FWFBOI FORECAST NATIONAL FIRE DANGER RATING FNUS85 KBOI FWMBOI SYSTEM FORECASTNWS CUSTOMERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO THEIR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS TO ACCOMMODATE THESE ZONE CHANGES.
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS CHANGE IS SOONER THAN SPECIFIED BY NWS POLICY /NWS INSTRUCTION 10-1805/. THIS REDUCTION OF ADVANCE NOTICE WAS REQUESTED BY THE IMPACTED LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND WILL REQUIRE MINIMAL CHANGES TO SOFTWARE.
SHAPE FILES OF THE NEW FIRE WEATHER ZONES FOR THE NWS POCATELLO OFFICE ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/FIREZONE.HTMFOR QUESTIONS REGARDING THESE PRODUCT CHANGES... PLEASE CONTACT:
RICK DITTMANN METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 1945 BEECHCRAFT AVE. POCATELLO ID 83204 PHONE: 208-232-9306 EMAIL: RICK.DITTMANN@xxxxxxxx NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE/: HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM $$
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