[nws-changes] 20090330: fire wx zone changes

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [nws-changes] 20090330: fire wx zone changes
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:23:19 -0600

NOUS41 KWBC 301921
PNSWSH

SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 09-26
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
320 PM EDT MON MAR 30 2009

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 TWO FIRE WEATHER
         ZONES IN NORTHERN NEVADA EFFECTIVE JUNE 1 2009

EFFECTIVE MONDAY JUNE 1 2009 AT 1200 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME
/UTC/...THE NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ IN ELKO NEVADA
/LKN/ WILL CHANGE TWO NORTHERN NEVADA FIRE WEATHER ZONE
BOUNDARIES...DESCRIPTOR NAMES AND NUMBERS.

THE PURPOSE OF THE CHANGE IS TO IMPROVE FIRE WEATHER WATCH...
WARNING AND FORECAST SERVICES AND PRODUCTS.

THE TWO FIRE WEATHER ZONES BEING CHANGED ARE NVZ451 /HUMBOLDT
COUNTY/ AND NVZ452 /ELKO COUNTY/. THESE LARGE ZONES...
ENCOMPASSING SOME 30K SQUARE MILES...COVER DIFFERENT CLIMATE
REGIMES FROM WEST TO EAST... DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS AND FUEL
LOADING.

ONCE THIS CHANGE HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED...THE FOLLOWING
GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTORS WILL BE USED IN ALL FIRE WEATHER
FORECAST PRODUCTS ISSUED FOR NORTHERN NEVADA:

TABLE 1:  NEW FIRE WEATHER ZONE NUMBER...NAME AND ZONE DESCRIPTOR

NVZ467     CENTRAL AND WESTERN HUMBOLDT COUNTY

ZONE 467 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: THIS INCLUDES THE CENTRAL AND
WESTERN PORTIONS OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY...FROM HIGHWAY 95 AND THE
WESTERN PORTION OF THE SANTA ROSA MOUNTAINS...WEST TO THE
HUMBOLDT/WASHOE COUNTY LINE. IT IS BORDERED IN THE NORTH BY THE
OREGON STATE LINE AND TO THE SOUTH BY THE CHURCHILL COUNTY LINE.

NVZ468     EASTERN HUMBOLDT COUNTY AND NORTHWESTERN ELKO COUNTY

ZONE 468 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: THIS INCLUDES THE EASTERN PORTION
OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY...FROM HIGHWAY 95 AND THE EASTERN PORTION OF
THE SANTA ROSA MOUNTAINS...EAST TO A LINE FOLLOWING SR 728 SOUTH
TO SR 226 TO SR 736 SOUTH TO THE EUREKA/ELKO COUNTY LINE...THEN
SOUTH TO INTERSTATE 80. IT IS BORDERED IN THE NORTH BY THE IDAHO
AND OREGON STATE LINES AND TO THE SOUTH BY INTERSTATE 80 AND THE
EASTERN PORTION OF THE HUMBOLDT/CHURCHILL COUNTY LINE.

NVZ469     SOUTHWESTERN AND CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY

ZONE 469 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: THIS INCLUDES SOUTHWEST ELKO
COUNTY NORTHWARD TO THE JARBIDGE WILDERNESS. IT IS BORDERED ON
THE NORTH BY THE IDAHO STATE LINE AND TO THE EAST BY THE EASTERN
BOUNDARY OF THE HUMBOLDT-TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST SOUTH TO THE
CRESTS OF THE EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE AND RUBY MOUNTAINS ON SOUTH TO
THE WHITE PINE COUNTY LINE. IT IS BORDERED TO THE WEST BY A LINE
FOLLOWING SR 728 SOUTH TO SR 226 TO SR 736 SOUTH TO THE
EUREKA/ELKO COUNTY LINE...THEN SOUTH TO THE EUREKA/ELKO/WHITE
PINE COUNTY INTERSECTION AND TO THE SOUTH BY THE WHITE PINE
COUNTY LINE.

NVZ470     EASTERN ELKO COUNTY

ZONE 470 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: THIS INCLUDES ALL OF EASTERN ELKO
COUNTY FROM THE O/NEILL BASIN EASTWARD AND EAST OF THE RUBY
MOUNTAINS AND EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE. IT IS BORDERED TO THE WEST BY
THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE HUMBOLDT-TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST
SOUTH TO THE CRESTS OF THE EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE AND RUBY MOUNTAINS
ON SOUTH TO THE WHITE PINE COUNTY LINE AND TO THE SOUTH BY THE
WHITE PINE COUNTY LINE. IT IS BORDERED TO THE NORTH BY THE IDAHO
STATE LINE AND TO THE EAST BY THE UTAH STATE LINE.

TABLE 2:  NWS WATCH...WARNING AND FORECAST PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY
THESE CHANGES:

   PRODUCT                       WMO HEADING    AWIPS ID
   -----------------------------------------------------
   FIRE WEATHER WATCH            WWUS85 KLKN    RFWLKN

   RED FLAG WARNING              WWUS85 KLKN    RFWLKN

   FIRE WEATHER PLANNING         FNUS55 KLKN    FWFLKN
   FORECAST

   NATIONAL FIRE DANGER RATING   FNUS85 KLKN    FWMLKN
   SYSTEM FORECAST

NWS CUSTOMERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO
THEIR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS TO ACCOMMODATE THESE ZONE CHANGES.

SHAPEFILES OF THE NEW FIRE WEATHER ZONES FOR THE NWS ELKO OFFICE

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GEODATA/CATALOG/WSOM/HTML/FIREZONE.HTM

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...PLEASE CONTACT:

KEVIN BAKER
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
3720 PARADISE DR
ELKO NV 89801
775-778-6716
KEVIN.BAKER@xxxxxxxx

NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT /USE LOWERCASE/:

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/NOTIF.HTM

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