20050303: Grand Rapids-Fire Wx

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 20050303: Grand Rapids-Fire Wx
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2005 07:44:07 -0700

NOUS41 KWBC 031404
PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 05-08
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
915 AM EST MAR 3 2005

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 USERS OF THE FIRE
        WEATHER FORECASTS...NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:   DOUGLAS C. YOUNG
       ACTING CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH

SUBJECT:ASSUMPTION OF FIRE WEATHER PROGRAM AT WFO GRAND RAPIDS
        MICHIGAN AND ASSOCIATED IMPLEMENTATION OF A SUITE OF
        FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS...EFFECTIVE MARCH 15 2005


EFFECTIVE MARCH 15 AT 0000 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/
IN GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN /GRR/ WILL ASSUME FIRE WEATHER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS COUNTY WARNING AND FORECAST AREA /CWFA/.
FIRE WEATHER RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA IS
CURRENTLY HELD BY THE GAYLORD MICHIGAN WFO.  ALL INTERESTED
CUSTOMERS MUST ADD THE FOLLOWING NEW IDENTIFIERS TO THEIR
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS TO RECEIVE THE NEW FIRE PRODUCTS THAT WILL
BE ISSUED BY WFO GRAND RAPIDS:

PRODUCT                                 WMO HEADING     AWIPS ID
-----------------------                 -----------     --------
FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST          FNUS53 KGRR     FWFGRR
NATIONAL FIRE DANGER RATING             FNUS83 KGRR     FWMGRR
SYSTEM /NFDRS/ FORECAST
FIRE WEATHER NOTIFICATION MESSAGE       SHUS83 KGRR     FWNGRR
FIRE WEATHER LAND MANAGEMENT            FNUS83 KGRR     FWLGRR
FORECAST        
SMOKE MANAGEMENT FORECAST               FNUS73 KGRR     SMFGRR
RANGELAND FIRE DANGER                   FNUS63 KGRR     RFDGRR
FIRE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS               SHUS63 KGRR     FWOGRR
FIRE DANGER INDICES                     FNUS43 KGRR     FDIGRR


ADDITIONALLY...FIRE WEATHER FORECASTS ISSUED BY WFO GRAND RAPIDS
WILL USE THE FIRE WEATHER ZONE CONCEPT.  THE FIRE WEATHER ZONE
NUMBER AND THE DESCRIPTION OF EACH OF THE FIVE NEW FIRE WEATHER
ZONES ARE SHOWN BELOW.

ZONE NUMBER     ZONE NAME/DESCRIPTION

MIZ037          MASON...LAKE...OSCEOLA...OCEANA...NEWAYGO AND
                MECOSTA COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE SOUTHERN THREE
                QUARTERS OF MANISTEE NATIONAL FOREST

MIZ040          CLARE AND ISABELLA COUNTIES

MIZ050          MUSKEGON...OTTAWA...ALLEGAN AND VAN BUREN COUNTIES

MIZ051          MONTCALM...GRATIOT...KENT...IONIA AND CLINTON
                COUNTIES

MIZ065          BARRY...EATON...INGHAM...KALAMAZOO...CALHOUN AND
                JACKSON COUNTIES
        

THE SHAPEFILES OF THE NEW FIRE WEATHER ZONES ARE AVAILABLE FOR
DOWNLOAD FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

        WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/FIREZONE.HTM

THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS CHANGE IS SOONER THAN SPECIFIED BY NWS
POLICY (NWS INSTRUCTION 10-1805). THE REDUCTION OF THE NORMAL
ADVANCE LEAD TIME WAS APPROVED BECAUSE ALL SYSTEMS AND LOCAL FIRE
WEATHER CUSTOMERS ARE READY TO IMPLEMENT THIS CHANGE ON MARCH
15... AND THE BENEFITS FROM DOING SO WERE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN
PROVIDING THE REQUIRED 120 DAY NOTIFICATION PERIOD.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS SERVICE CHANGE AND/OR
PRODUCT ADDITIONS...PLEASE CONTACT:

    DANIEL HOUSER
    METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE
    NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE
    4899 SOUTH COMPLEX DRIVE S.E.
    GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN  49512-4034
    PHONE: 616-949-0643
    EMAIL: DANIEL.HOUSER@xxxxxxxx

THIS AND OTHER NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT
/USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

    HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM

$$
NNNN