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Severe Thunderstorms in the Central U.S.; Upper Level Low Over California

Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible today across central and eastern Minnesota, Iowa, and western Wisconsin. A few tornadoes, isolated very large hail, and damaging winds may occur. An upper level low will help trigger scattered thunderstorms over portions of central and southern California today along with a few inches of snow in the central Sierra Nevadas. Read More >

Overview
Effective midnight Monday, June 25, 2018, (0600 Coordinated Universal Time - UTC), the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Riverton, Wyoming, will change its current fire weather forecast zone boundaries in western Wyoming.  Fire weather zones that will be impacted by this change include WYZ277, WYZ278, WYZ279, WYZ414, WYZ415, and WYZ416.  Additionally, the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Pocatello, Idaho, will adjust the boundary of WYZ411 to ensure consistency with the altered boundary of WYZ415.  Other minor cosmetic changes were made to fire weather forecast zone boundaries WY277, WYZ278, and WYZ279.

After this change, WFO RIW fire weather forecast zones covering the Bridger-Teton National Forest will align with the Fire Danger Rating Areas of that forest.  These changes were initiated by the partner and will improve services for partners in western Wyoming.  Fire weather forecast zone numbers will not change as a result of these zone boundary adjustments.

Maps
Graphical descriptions of the old and new fire weather forecast zones are available below.

Current Western Wyoming Fire Zone Boundary Map

 

Proposed Western Wyoming Fire Zone Boundary Map

 

Comparison Map of Current & Proposed
Western Wyoming Fire Zone Boundaries

 

Text Products
NWS watch, warning and forecast products affected by these changes are:

Product WMO Heading AWIPS ID
NWS Riverton Fire Weather Watch WWUS85 KRIW RFWRIW
NWS Riverton Red Flag Warning WWUS85 KRIW RFWRIW
NWS Riverton Fire Weather Planning Forecast FNUS55 KRIW FWFRIW
NWS Pocatello Fire Weather Watch WWUS85 KPIH RFWPIH
NWS Pocatello Red Flag Warning WWUS85 KPIH RFWPIH
NWS Pocatello Fire Weather Planning Forecast FNUS55 KPIH FWFPIH

 

NWS partners and users will need to make necessary changes to their communications systems to accommodate these fire weather forecast zone changes.

A shapefile of the new fire weather forecast zones for WFO RIW and WFO PIH is online at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/firezone.htm

For more information, please contact:

  Tim Troutman - Warning Coordination Meteorologist
  12744 West US Highway 26
  Riverton, WY  82501
  307-857-3898 ext. 726
  tim.troutman@noaa.gov

National Service Change Notices are online at:   http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm