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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 99-07
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
300 PM EST FRI JAN 15 1999
TO - FAMILY OF SERVICES / FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE / NWWS/ NWS/ CUSTOMERS...NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM - THERESE Z. PIERCE...CHIEF...INTEGRATED
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
SUBJECT - TRANSFER OF PUBLIC AND MARINE FORECAST RESPONSIBILITIES
TO THE HOUSTON WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE...EFFECTIVE MARCH
15 1999.
EFFECTIVE MONDAY MARCH 15 1999 AT 1200 NOON CENTRAL STANDARD TIME
OR 1800 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME... THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE WILL TRANSFER FORECAST RESPONSIBILITY FOR 23 ZONES IN
SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS /TABLE 1/ TO THE
HOUSTON/GALVESTON WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO HGX/. TRANSFER
WILL BE FROM THE WFOS IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS /EWX/ AND FORT WORTH
TEXAS /FWD/. WFO HGX CURRENTLY ISSUES SHORT FUSED WARNINGS AND
SHORT TERM FORECASTS FOR THE COUNTIES INVOLVED IN THIS TRANSFER.
FOR THE ZONES IN TABLE 1...WFO HGX WILL ISSUE THE PRODUCTS IN
TABLES 2...3 AND 4 AND THE CODED CITIES FORECASTS. TRANSFERRING
THESE SERVICES TO WFO HGX WILL COMPLETE ONE OF THE FINAL PHASES
IN THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE/S MODERNIZATION AND RESTRUCTURING
PROGRAM AND ENABLE A MORE EFFICIENT MANNER TO SERVE OUR
CUSTOMERS.
...OTHER CHANGES TO OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME ARE AS FOLLOWS:
WFO HGX WILL NO LONGER ISSUE THE LOCAL FORECAST PRODUCT FOR
GALVESTON /SATLFPGLS - FLUS84 KHGX/. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE
CONTAINED IN THE ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT LISTED IN TABLE 2.
WFO HGX WILL NO LONGER ISSUE THE NEAR SHORE FORECAST /SATNSHHOU -
FZUS54 KHGX/. ALL CUSTOMERS USING THE NEAR SHORE FORECAST WILL
FIND THIS INFORMATION IN THE COASTAL WATERS FORECAST PRODUCT
IN TABLE 2 /SAME WMO HEADING/. THIS WILL IMPROVE DISSEMINATION
OF MARINE INFORMATION BY PLACING MARINE FORECASTS IN A SINGLE
PRODUCT.
TIDES AND MISCELLANEOUS MARINE WEATHER INFORMATION WILL BE FOUND
IN A TIDE INFORMATION PRODUCT /SEE TABLE 4/
THE CODED CITY FORECAST PRODUCT /SATCCFHGX - FPUS44 KHGX/ WILL
ADD CODED FORECASTS FOR COLLEGE STATION AND GALVESTON. THE
HOUSTON CODED FORECASTS ALREADY ARE IN THIS PRODUCT.
A CHANGE WILL BE SEEN ON THE ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT IN TABLE 2.
FOLLOWING THIS TRANSFER OF SERVICE...THE EXTENDED FORECAST WILL
BE ISSUED FOR EACH ZONE GROUP AND CONTAINED IN THE ZONE FORECAST
PRODUCT. THIS CHANGE IS A CUSTOMER SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLACING
MORE INFORMATION ON FEWER PRODUCTS.
FOR HOLDERS OF WEATHER SERVICE OPERATIONS MANUAL /WSOM/ CHAPTER
C-11...ZONE FORECAST BOUNDARIES...APPENDIX A....THIS UPDATES
PAGES A-47...A-69...AND CHAPTER D-51 APPENDIX A...PAGE A-4.
BECAUSE OF THESE TRANSFERS...USERS OF INFORMATION FOR THE ZONES
IN TABLE 1 WILL NEED TO TAKE ACTION TO RECEIVE ALL PRODUCTS THAT
WILL BE ISSUED BY WFO HGX IN TABLES 2...3 AND 4.
TABLE 1. ZONES TO BE TRANSFERRED
UGC = UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODE
ZONE BY COUNTY UGC ZONE BY COUNTY UGC
AUSTIN TXZ211- BRAZORIA TXZ237-
BRAZOS TXZ196- BURLESON TXZ195-
CHAMBERS TXZ214- COLORADO TXZ210-
FORT BEND TXZ227- GALVESTON TXZ238-
GRIMES TXZ198- HARRIS TXZ213-
HOUSTON TXZ163- JACKSON TXZ235-
LIBERTY TXZ200- MADISON TXZ176-
MATAGORDA TXZ236- MONTGOMERY TXZ199-
POLK TXZ179- SAN JACINTO TXZ178-
TRINITY TXZ164- WALLER TXZ212-
WALKER TXZ177- WASHINGTON TXZ197-
WHARTON TXZ226-
MARINE ZONE UGC
HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT OUT 20 NM GMZ355-
HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT 20 TO 50 NM GMZ375-
FREEPORT TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM GMZ350-
FREEPORT TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL 20 TO 50 NM GMZ370-
GALVESTON BAY GMZ335-
MATAGORDA BAY GMZ330-
OUTLOOK FOR HIGH ISLAND TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL GMZ390-
OUT 50 NI
TABLE 2. THE FOLLOWING ARE ROUTINE PRODUCTS THAT WILL BE
TRANSFERRED TO WFO HGX. UGC COUNTY ZONE CODES ARE USED FOR THE
FOLLOWING LAND PRODUCTS AND MARINE ZONE CODES ARE USED FOR THE
FOLLOWING MARINE PRODUCT.
PRODUCT NWWS ID WMO HEADING
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT SATZFPHGX FPUS54 KHGX
COASTAL MARINE FORECAST SATCWFHGX FZUS54 KHGX
TABLE 3. THE FOLLOWING ARE NON-ROUTINE PRODUCTS THAT WILL BE
TRANSFERRED TO WFO HGX. UGC COUNTY ZONE CODES ARE USED FOR THE
FOLLOWING LIST OF PRODUCTS.
PRODUCT NWWS ID WMO HEADING
FLASH FLOOD WATCH SATFFAHOU WGUS62 KHGX
RIVER FLOOD WATCH SATESFHOU FGUS74 KHGX
WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS SATWSWHOU WWUS44 KHGX
NON-PRECIP PRODUCTS SATNPWHOU WWUS74 KHGX
TABLE 4. THE FOLLOWING IS A NEW PRODUCT THAT WILL BE ISSUED BY
WFO HGX. UGC COUNTY ZONE CODES ARE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING
PRODUCT.
PRODUCT NWWS ID WMO HEADING
TIDE FORECAST SATTIDHGX SOUS44 KHGX
OTHER PRODUCTS SUCH AS THE CONVECTIVE WATCH REDEFINE STATEMENT
/SATSLSTX - WWUS32 KSAT/...STATE TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
SUMMARY /SATSTPTX - ABUS21 KSAT/... AND SOUTH TEXAS STATE
FORECAST /SATSFPTX - FPUS64 KEWX/ WILL REMAIN THE SAME UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...YOU MAY CONTACT THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE:
BILL READ KEN GRAHAM
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE PUBLIC/MARINE METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
1620 GILL ROAD SOUTHERN REGION HEADQUARTERS
DICKINSON TX 77539 ROOM 10A11
281-377-5074 FORT WORTH, TX 76102
817-978-2367 EX 107
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