000
NOUS45 KABQ 021253
PNSABQ
NMZ001>021-026-030600-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
655 AM MDT THU JUL 2 2009

...IMPLEMENTATION OF IMPROVED PUBLIC ZONE COVERAGE FOR THE NORTHERN 
AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF NEW MEXICO IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 22 2009...

EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY JULY 22 2009 AT 0300 PM MDT...2100 UTC...THE NWS 
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ IN ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO /ABQ/ WILL 
ISSUE PUBLIC ZONE FORECAST AND WARNING PRODUCTS USING NEW PUBLIC 
ZONE BOUNDARIES.

WFO ABQ PUBLIC ZONE BOUNDARIES ARE BEING CHANGED TO BETTER 
INCORPORATE LOCAL TOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATOLOGY ACROSS NORTHERN AND 
CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. SEVERAL EXISTING ZONES HAVE BEEN REDUCED IN SIZE 
TO MITIGATE THE SIGNIFICANT VARIANCES IN CLIMATE AND ELEVATION IN 
THE ZONES CURRENTLY IN USE.

THE MAJORITY OF THE CHANGES ARE REFLECTED WITHIN THE HIGHER TERRAIN 
OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEW MEXICO WHILE MINIMAL ADJUSTMENTS WERE 
MADE TO THE EASTERN PLAINS. 

SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE CURRENT ZONE CONFIGURATION INCLUDE

- DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE EASTERN AND WESTERN SLOPES OF THE 
SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS
- SEPARATION OF THE SAN JUAN AND JEMEZ MOUNTAINS
- REDUCTION IN SIZE OF THE ZONES THAT INCLUDE THE NORTHEAST 
HIGHLANDS AND THE ESTANCIA VALLEY
- IMPROVED SEPARATION OF MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL 
NEW MEXICO ALONG WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE SANTA FE METRO AREA IN 
ITS OWN ZONE

THE LINK BELOW OFFERS THE FOLLOWING:
- GREATER DETAIL REGARDING WHY THESE PUBLIC ZONE CHANGES ARE BEING 
MADE 
- GRAPHICAL DEPICTIONS OF THE CURRENT AND NEW PUBLIC ZONES 
- TEXT LISTINGS OF OLD AND NEW PUBLIC ZONE NAMES AND UNIVERSAL 
GEOGRAPHIC CODES /UGC/S/
- A TABLE OF WFO ABQ PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THESE PUBLIC ZONE CHANGES 
ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/ABQ/ZONES/2009PUBLICZONES.PHP

PARTNERS AND OTHER USERS MUST TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO CONTINUE 
CORRECTLY PROCESSING ALL WFO ABQ PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE.

UPDATED PUBLIC ZONE MAP SHAPEFILES ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD FROM 
THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

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

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS...PLEASE CONTACT:

JESUS HARO                               MELINDA BAILEY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE                 NWS SOUTHERN REGION HQ
2341 CLARK CARR LOOP SE                  819 TAYLOR ST. RM 10A11
ALBUQUERQUE NM 87106                     FORT WORTH TX 76102
505-243-0702 X223                        817-978-1100 X107

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

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

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