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-------- Original Message --------
241
NOUS41 KWBC 231423
PNSWSH
Service Change Notice 10-49
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
922 AM EST Tue Nov 23 2010
To: Subscribers:
-Family of Services
-NOAA Weather Wire Service
-Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
-NOAAPORT
Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees
From: Therese Z. Pierce
Chief, Marine and Coastal Services Branch
Subject: Changes in Coastal Waters Marine Zones
For the Lower Chesapeake Bay of Southeastern
Virginia Effective April 5, 2011
Effective Tuesday April 5, 2011 at 200 pm Eastern Daylight Time
(EDT) or 1800 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the NWS Weather
Forecast Office in Wakefield, VA, will reconfigure its marine
zones for the lower Chesapeake Bay.
Currently there are three marine zones covering the lower
Chesapeake Bay. A new marine zone will be created to cover the
mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Marine observations, local studies,
and customer feedback all reflect that conditions in this area
can vary, at times significantly, from locations farther up the
bay. This reconfiguration will serve to improve the precision of
marine warnings, forecasts, and other services by allowing
forecasters to be more area specific.
The marine zone with the Universal Geographic Code
(UGC) ANZ632, zone name Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to
Cape Henry, VA, will be split into two separate zones effective
April 5, 2011:
ANZ632 Mouth of Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little
Creek, VA.
One new marine zone will then be created:
ANZ634 Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek, VA, to Cape Henry, VA,
including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Table 1 lists the current marine zones and corresponding UGCs
which WFO Wakesfield issues forecasts and warnings.
Table 2 lists the marine zones and corresponding UGCs which WFO
Wakefield will issue forecasts and warnings effective April 5,
2011.
Table 3 lists all of the products issued by WFO Wakefield that
will be affected by the marine zone changes.
Table 1. Current marine zones and corresponding UGCs which WFO
Wakefield issues forecasts and warnings:
Current Marine Zone Name Current UGC
Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point ANZ630
to Windmill Point
Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point ANZ631
to New Point Comfort
Chesapeake Bay from New Point ANZ632
Comfort to Cape Henry
Currituck Sound ANZ633
Coastal Waters from Fenwick Island ANZ650
to Chincoteague, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Chincoteague, VA ANZ652
to Parramore Island, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Parramore Island, VA ANZ654
to Cape Charles Light out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Cape Charles Light ANZ656
to Virginia-North Carolina border out
to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Virginia-North Carolina ANZ658
border to Currituck Beach Light out
to 20 nm
Waters from Fenwick Island DE to Currituck ANZ670
Beach Light NC from 20 to 40 nm
TABLE 2. Marine zones and corresponding UGCs for which
WFO Wakefield will issue forecasts and warnings effective April
5, 2011. This includes the new marine zones and the current
marine zones listed in Table 1 above which will continue to be
utilized, with modifications to boundaries as described above.
New Marine Zone Name NEW UGC
Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point ANZ630
to Windmill Point
Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point ANZ631
to New Point Comfort
Chesapeake Bay from New Point ANZ632
Comfort to Little Creek, VA
Currituck Sound ANZ633
Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek, VA, ANZ634
to Cape Henry, VA including the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
Coastal Waters from Fenwick Island ANZ650
to Chincoteague, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Chincoteague, VA ANZ652
to Parramore Island, VA out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Parramore Island, VA ANZ654
to Cape Charles Light out to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Cape Charles Light ANZ656
to Virginia-North Carolina border out
to 20 nm
Coastal Waters from Virginia-North Carolina ANZ658
to Currituck Beach Light out to 20 nm
Waters from Fenwick Island DE to Currituck ANZ670
Beach Light NC from 20 to 40 nm
To view graphical images of the current marine zones listed
in Table 1 go to the following web site:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/zone/east/akqmz.htm
To view graphical images of the marine zones for which WFO
Wakefield will issue forecasts and warnings effective April 5,
2011 go to the following web site:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/akq/news/AKQMZ.html
TABLE 3. WFO Wakefield products affected by the marine zone
changes effective April 5, 2011:
Product Name WMO Heading AWIPS ID
Coastal Waters Forecast FZUS51 KAKQ CWFAKQ
Special Marine Warning WHUS51 KAKQ SMWAKQ
Marine Weather Statement FZUS71 KAKQ MWSAKQ
Marine Weather Message WHUS71 KAKQ MWWAKQ
Hurricane Local Statement WTUS81 KAKQ HLSAKQ
Watch County Notification WWUS61 KAKQ WCNAKQ
Hazardous Weather Outlook FLUS41 KAKQ HWOAKQ
Customers must reprogram affected hardware and software to
continue correctly processing the products listed in Table 3.
Also customers providing NWS graphic marine forecasts must
download an updated marine zone map shapefile to correctly
provide graphic marine forecasts for the lower Chesapeake Bay.
An updated marine zone map shapefile containing the new zones is
available for download from the following website:
www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/marinezones.htm
If you have any questions or comments about this reconfiguration
of WFO Wakefield coastal marine zones please contact:
Mike Montefusco Mark Willis
Marine Program Leader National Weather Service
National Weather Service Eastern Region Headquarters
10009 General Mahone Highway 630 Johnson Ave.
Wakefield, VA 23888 Bohemia, NY 11716-2618
757-899-5731 631-244-0122
Michael.Montefusco@xxxxxxxx Mark.Willis@xxxxxxxx
National Weather Service Change notices are posted at:
http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm
$$
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