20030721: zone

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 20030721: zone
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 07:30:23 -0600

NOUS41 KWBC 181409
PNSWSH

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 03-39
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1010 AM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

TO        FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
         WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS
         WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...
         NOAAPORT SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
         /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM      GLENN AUSTIN
         ACTING CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH

SUBJECT   ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT MODIFIED FORMAT AND PHASED
         IMPLEMENTATION...EFFECTIVE BEGINNING OCTOBER 1 2003

ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 1 2003...AT 1800 UTC /COORDINATED UNIVERSAL
TIME/...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES /WFO/ WILL
IMPLEMENT A NEW DIRECTIVE...NWS INSTRUCTION 10-503...WFO PUBLIC
WEATHER FORECAST PRODUCTS SPECIFICATION.  THIS NEW DIRECTIVE SETS
POLICY FOR AN IMPROVED ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT /ZFP/ IN A MODIFIED
FORMAT.

THE NEW ZFP FORMAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AT MOST CONTIGUOUS UNITED
STATES /CONUS/ WFOS ON OCTOBER 1 2003.  THE MODIFIED ZFP FORMAT
WILL BE PHASED IN AT THE REMAINDER OF CONUS WFOS THROUGH
DECEMBER 31 2003...AS NEW SOFTWARE BECOMES AVAILABLE AT THOSE
LOCATIONS.  OFF CONUS /OCONUS/ WFOS WILL ALSO BEGIN ISSUING THE
ZFP IN THIS MODIFIED FORMAT AS SOFTWARE BECOMES AVAILABLE DURING
2004.  THE IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE OF THE NEW ZFP FORMAT AT
OCONUS WFOS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN A FUTURE SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE.

THIS NEW DIRECTIVE EXTENSIVELY CHANGES THE ZFP FORMAT.  THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. THE DAY FOUR /4/ THROUGH DAY SEVEN /7/ 24-HOUR FORECASTS HAVE
BEEN BROKEN INTO 12-HOUR SEGMENTS...RESULTING IN SEAMLESS 13 OR
14 PERIOD FORECASTS DEPENDING UPON THE ISSUANCE TIME.

2. THE TWO MANDATORY ZFP ISSUANCE TIME WINDOWS HAVE BEEN MODIFIED
TO NO LATER THAN 4 AM AND 4 PM LOCAL TIME.

3. WIND FORECASTS ARE EXTENDED TO 60 HOURS.

4. THE DOT LESS THAN CODE /.</ USED TO MARK OPTIONAL SITE
SPECIFIC FORECASTS HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE STANDARD DOUBLE
AMPERSAND /&&/ AND A CARRIAGE RETURN TO MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE WITH
DISSEMINATION POLICY IN NWSI 10-1701...TEXT PRODUCT FORMATS AND
CODES.

THE 7-DAY ZFP WILL CONTINUE TO BE ROUTINELY ISSUED AT LEAST TWICE
DAILY.  OTHER ISSUANCES WILL BE ON AN EVENT-DRIVEN BASIS.  NO
COMMUNICATIONS CHANGES ARE REQUIRED TO RECEIVE THE IMPROVED ZFP.

THE FOLLOWING WEB LINK BELOW PROVIDES AN EXAMPLE OF THE MODIFIED
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT FORMAT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/

   http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notifications/zone_example0715.htm

ZFP POLICY...FORMAT...AND GENERIC EXAMPLES CAN BE FOUND IN NWS
INSTRUCTION 10-503 LOCATED ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
DIRECTIVES INTERNET WEB SITE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/

    http://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/010/pd01005003a.pdf

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THESE CHANGES PLEASE
CONTACT...

    DOUGLAS YOUNG...NATIONAL PUBLIC WEATHER PROGRAM LEADER
    NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS
    1325 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY
    SILVER SPRING MD 20910
    PHONE  301-713-1867 X113
    EMAIL  DOUGLAS.YOUNG@xxxxxxxx

THIS NOTICE AND OTHER SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE
INTERNET AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/

               www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm

$$
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