NOUS41 KWBC DDHHMM CCA PNSWSH PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 00-69...COR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC 440 PM EDT FRI OCT 13 2000 TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS...NWS EMPLOYEES FROM: PAUL STOKOLS...ACTING CHIEF FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH SUBJECT: CHANGING SOME PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES IN MONTANA... EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 4 2000 ...CORRECTED URL FOR ZONES MAPS...AS INDICATED BELOW... ...ORIGINAL MESSAGE WAS SENT JULY 10 2000.... ...ALL OTHER INFORMATION REMAINS THE SAME... THE NWS RECONFIGURED A NUMBER OF PUBLIC ZONE FORECAST AREAS IN MONTANA ON OCTOBER 4 2000...AT 1100 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME /UTC/...5 A.M. MDT. CUSTOMERS WHO USE UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODES /UGC/ TO SELECT WEATHER INFORMATION FOR SPECIFIC ZONES IN MONTANA NEEDED TO CHANGE SOME UGCS. TABLE 1 BELOW LISTS THE ZONES WHICH WERE IMPLEMENTED OCTOBER 4. THE PURPOSE FOR RECONFIGURING WEATHER FORECAST ZONES WAS TO ALLOW FORECASTERS TO MORE ACCURATELY PORTRAY ONGOING AND PREDICTED WEATHER. EACH ZONE WAS NAMED EITHER BY A COUNTY /OR COUNTIES/ OR OTHER RECOGNIZABLE GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES. NO OTHER MONTANA FORECAST ZONES WERE AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE. MANY NWS PRODUCTS /NOT JUST ZONE FORECASTS/ WERE AFFECTED BY THIS ZONE RECONFIGURATION. THIS IS BECAUSE THE Z FORM OF THE UNIVERSAL GENERIC CODE /UGC/ USED IN THESE PRODUCTS NOW CONTAINS NEW ZONE NUMBERS TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC AREAS WITHIN THE STATE. TABLE 2 LISTS THE PRODUCT CATEGORIES AFFECTED WITH THEIR NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ AND FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ IDENTIFIERS. USERS WHO SELECT INFORMATION FOR SPECIFIC ZONES NEEDED TO USE THE NEW UGCS FOR THE RECONFIGURED ZONES. THESE ZONE CHANGES UPDATE PAGES A-113 AND 114 OF NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OPERATIONS MANUAL CHAPTER C-11...ZONE AND LOCAL FORECASTS...APPENDIX A /ZONE FORECAST MAPS/. UPDATED ZONE MAPS CAN BE DOWNLOADED OFF THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE: ...CORRECTED URL... HTTP://ISL715.NWS.NOAA.GOV/MAPDATA/NEWCAT/WSOM/C11-ZONE.HTM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION YOU MAY CALL THE FOLLOWING WFO: GREAT FALLS MONTANA- 406-453-9957 BILLINGS MONTANA- 406-657-6335 GLASGOW MONTANA- 406-228-4042 MISSOULA MONTANA- 406-329-4840 THIS MESSAGE IS POSTED ON THE FOLLOWING INTERNET ADDRESS: HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM TABLE 1. NEW NWS ZONES IN MONTANA EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 4 2000. ALL OTHER ZONES ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE. UGC Z ZONE NAME ***WFO GREAT FALLS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY*** MTZ009- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT MTZ010- EASTERN GLACIER MTZ011- HILL MTZ012- CASCADE MTZ013- CHOUTEAU MTZ014- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK MTZ015- MADISON MTZ044- TOOLE MTZ045- LIBERTY MTZ046- EASTERN PONDERA MTZ047- BLAINE MTZ048- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT MTZ049- EASTERN TETON MTZ050- JUDITH BASIN MTZ051- FERGUS MTZ052- JEFFERSON MTZ053- BROADWATER MTZ054- MEAGHER MTZ055- GALLATIN ***WFO GLASGOW AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY*** MTZ016- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS MTZ017- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY COUNTY MTZ020- WESTERN ROOSEVELT COUNTY MTZ059- NORTHERN PHILLIPS MTZ060- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS MTZ061- NORTH VALLEY MTZ062- EAST ROOSEVELT ***WFO BILINGS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY*** MTZ031- NORTHERN ROSEBUD COUNTY MTZ038- SOUTHERN BIG HORN COUNTY MTZ039- EAST CARBON MTZ056- WEST CARBON MTZ057- NORTHERN BIG HORN MTZ058- SOUTH ROSEBUD TABLE 2. PRODUCT CATEGORIES AFFECTED BY ZONE RECONFIGURATIONS. PRODUCT PIL ID / WMO HEADER ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT ZFP / FPUS55 WINTER WEATHER WATCH/WARNING/ADISORY WSW / WWUS45 NON-PRECIPITATION WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY NPW / WWUS45 FLASH FLOOD WATCH FFA / RWUS31/WGUS45 SHORT TERM FORECAST NOW / FPUS75 STATE FORECAST PRODUCT SFP / FPUS65 SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT SVS / WWUS34/WWUS55 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT SPS / WWUS35/WWUS85 FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT FFS / RWUS32/WGUS75 PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT PNS / ABUS34/NOUS45 CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE CEM / MMUS40/WOUS45 LOCAL STORM REPORT LSR / WWUS30/WWUS55 STATE WEATHER ROUNDUP SWR / ASUS45 END NNNN