701
NOUS41 KWBC 311605
PNSWSH

Public Information Statement 24-39
National Weather Service Headquarters Silver Spring MD
1205 PM EDT Fri May 31 2024

To: Subscribers:
 -NOAA Weather Wire Service
 -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
 -NOAAPort
 Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees

From: Greg M. Schoor, Chief
 Marine, Tropical, and Tsunami Services Branch

Subject: Soliciting Comments through July 29, 2024 on a Proposal
to Replace the Imperial Unit Feet with the Metric Unit
Meter
in National Marine Center Text and Graphical Products

Through Monday, July 29, 2024, the National Weather Service
(NWS) National Centers for Environmental Predictions (NCEPs)
Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), the National Hurricane Centers
Tropical Analysis & Forecast Branch (TAFB), and NWS Pacific
Region (PR) will be soliciting comments on a proposal to replace
the imperial unit feet with the metric unit meter when
providing wave heights in NWS National Marine Center Products.
The NWS has received input that customers would prefer to have
wave information provided in units of meters in National Marine
Center Products.

Please note that this does not affect NWS Coastal Waters
forecasts within 60 NM of the coastline including the Great
Lakes forecasts.  These coastal and Great Lakes forecasts of
wave heights will continue to be issued in feet.

The proposed changes to meters only affects the High Seas and
Offshore Zone areas that go beyond 60 NM of the coast of the
forecast products from OPC, TAFB and NWS PR.  Providing wave
information in meters for the offshore and high seas will align
the NWS with international partners.

Additionally, NWS Alaska Region Offshore products will remain in
feet due to unique operational considerations and technical
challenges. A transition to meters will be explored in the
future for Alaska.

Text products in this change include:

AWIPS    WMO Heading    Geographic Descriptor
Identifier
---------  ----------    --------------------
HSFAT1    FZNT01 KWBC    High Seas Forecast METAREA IV

HSFAT2    FZNT02 KNHC    High Seas Forecast ATLANTIC
   FROM 07N TO 31N W OF 35W INCLUDING
   CARIBBEAN SEA AND GULF OF MEXICO

HSFEPI    FZPN02 KWBC    High Seas Forecast METAREA XII

HSFEP1    FZPN01 KWBC    High Seas Forecast PACIFIC N OF 30N
   AND S OF 67N E OF A LINE FROM BERING
   STRAIT TO 50N 160E

HSFEP2    FZPN03 KNHC    High Seas Forecast E PACIFIC FROM THE
   EQUATOR TO 30N E OF 140W AND 03.4S TO
   THE EQUATOR E OF 120W

HSFNP    FZPN40 PHFO    High Seas Forecast NORTH PACIFIC
   EQUATOR TO 30N BETWEEN 140W AND 160E

HSFSP    FZPS40 PHFO    High Seas Forecast SOUTH PACIFIC
   EQUATOR TO 25S BETWEEN 120W AND 160E

OFFHFO    FZHW60 PHFO    Offshore Waters Forecast for Hawaii
   Beyond 40 nm out to 240 nm.

OFFN01    FZNT23 KWNM    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for NE U.S.
   Waters

OFFN02    FZNT24 KWNM    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for
   Mid-Atlantic States Waters

OFFN03    FZNT25 KWNM    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for
   Southeast U.S. Waters

OFFN04    FZNT25 KNHC    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for
   Southeastern Gulf of Mexico and
   Atlantic Waters off of Florida

OFFN05    FZNT26 KNHC    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for Atlantic
   & Caribbean Waters off of Puerto Rico

OFFN06    FZNT27 KNHC    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for Northern
   Gulf of Mexico

OFFN07    FZPN22 MWNM    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for
   Southern California Waters

OFFN08    FZPN23 KWNM    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for Northern
   California Waters

OFFN09    FZPN24 KWNM    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for Washington
   and Oregon Waters

OFFN10    FZHW61 PHFO    NAVTEX Marine Forecast for Hawaiian
   Waters

OFFN20    FZNT31 KNHC    Marine Weather HF Voice Broadcast for
   the Tropical N Atlantic from 07N to
   22N between 55W and 64W, the SW
   N Atlantic S of 31N W of 65W
   Including the Bahamas and the
   Caribbean Sea

OFFN21    FZNT32 KNHC    Marine Weather HF Voice Broadcast for
   the Gulf of Mexico

OFFN31    FZNT33 KWBC    Marine Weather HF Voice Broadcast
   (New England Continental Shelf and
   Slope Waters)

OFFN32    FZNT34 KWBC    Marine Weather HF Voice Broadcast
   (West Central North Atlantic)

OFFN35    FZPN35 KWBC    Marine Weather HF Voice Broadcast
   (Washington and Oregon Waters)

OFFN36    FZPN36 KWBC    Marine Weather HF Voice Broadcast
   (California Waters)

OFFNT1    FZNT21 KWBC    Offshore Waters Forecast (New England
   Continental Shelf and Slope Waters)

OFFNT2     FZNT22 KWBC   Offshore Waters Forecast (West
   Central Continental Shelf and Slope
   Waters)

OFFNT3     FZNT23 KNHC   Offshore Waters Forecast for the
   Caribbean Sea and Tropical N Atlantic

OFFNT4     FZNT24 KNHC    Offshore Waters Forecast for the
    Gulf of Mexico

OFFNT5     FNZT25 KNHC    Offshore Waters Forecast for SW N
    Atlantic Ocean including the Bahamas

OFFPZ5     FZPN25 KWBC    Offshore Waters Forecast (Washington
    and Oregon Waters)

OFFPZ6     FZPN26 KWBC    Offshore Waters Forecast California
    Waters)

OFFPZ7     FZPN27 KNHC    Offshore Waters Forecast for the E
    Pacific within 250 nm of Mexico

OFFPZ8     FZPN28 KNHC    Offshore Waters Forecast for the E
    Pacific within 250 nm of Central
    America, Colombia, and within 750 nm
    of Ecuador

TCMAT1-5     WTNT[21-25] KNHCAtlantic Tropical Cyclone
Forecast/Advisory (NHC)

TCMAT1-5     WTNT[21-25] KWNHAtlantic Tropical Cyclone
Forecast/Advisory (WPC)

TCMCP1-5     WTPA[21-25] PHFOC Pacific Tropical Cyclone
Forecast/Advisory (CPHC)

TCMEP1-5     WTPZ[21-25] KNHCE Pacific Tropical Cyclone
Forecast/Advisory (NHC)

TCMEP1-5     WTPZ[21-25]KWNHE Pacific Tropical Cyclone
Forecast/Advisory (WPC)

Graphical products in this change include:

Ocean Prediction Center Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific 24-hour
wind and wave forecasts

Ocean Prediction Center Atlantic and Pacific wind/wave analyses

National Hurricane Center/Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch:
Atlantic and Pacific Sea State analyses

National Hurricane Center/Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch:
Atlantic and Pacific 24-hr, 48-hr, and 72-hr Wind/Wave forecasts
National Hurricane Center/Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch:
Atlantic and Pacific High Wind/Seas forecasts

Honolulu Forecast Office Wind/Wave analysis and 24-hr, 48-hr,
and 72-hr forecast charts

Wave heights in the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD)
GRIB files are in meters.  The NDFD Graphical Display at
digital.weather.gov, will continue to be able to be displayed in
feet or meters.

A brief description of the proposal can be found at:
https://ocean.weather.gov/proposed-meters.php

You can submit comments on this proposal through July 29, 2024
at:

https://ocean.weather.gov/survey-proposed-meters/index.php

You can also submit comments to:

Darin Figurskey
Operations Branch Chief
Ocean Prediction Center
College Park, MD
darin.figurskey@noaa.gov

John Hurley
Director of Operations
WFO Honolulu
Honolulu, HI
john.hurley@noaa.gov

Chris Landsea
Branch Chief
National Hurricane Center
Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch
Miami, FL
chris.landsea@noaa.gov

Melinda Bailey
National Weather Service Marine Program Manager
National Weather Service Headquarters
Silver Spring, MD
melinda.bailey@noaa.gov

National Public Information Statements are online at:

https://www.weather.gov/notification/