Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS National HQ
Issued by NWS National HQ
652 NOUS41 KWBC 271205 AAB PNSWSH Public Information Statement 24-39 Updated National Weather Service Headquarters Silver Spring MD 805 AM EDT Tue Aug 27 2024 To: Subscribers: -NOAA Weather Wire Service -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network -NOAAPort Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees From: Greg Schoor, Chief Marine, Tropical, and Tsunami Services Branch Subject: Updated: Soliciting Comments through October 16, 2024 on a Proposal to Replace the Imperial Unit "Feet" with the Metric Unit "Meter" in National Marine Center High Seas Text and Graphical Products Updated to remove the proposed conversion of NWS offshore forecasts from feet to meters and to extend the comment period. Through Wednesday, October 16, 2024, the National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers for Environmental Prediction`s (NCEP`s) Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), the National Hurricane Center`s Tropical Analysis and 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 high seas products.The NWS has received input that customers would prefer to have wave information provided in units of meters in National Marine Center products especially for the high seas.Providing wave information in meters for the high seas will also align the NWS with international partners. Please note that this does not affect NWS coastal waters forecasts within 60 NM of the coastline including the Great Lakes forecasts. This also does not affect the offshore zone areas that go beyond 60 NM of the coast. Text products in this proposed 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 TCMAT1-5 WTNT[21-25] KNHC Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Forecast/Advisory (NHC) TCMAT1-5 WTNT[21-25] KWNH Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Forecast/Advisory (WPC) TCMCP1-5 WTPA[21-25] PHFO C Pacific Tropical Cyclone Forecast/Advisory (CPHC) TCMEP1-5 WTPZ[21-25] KNHC E Pacific Tropical Cyclone Forecast/Advisory (NHC) TCMEP1-5 WTPZ[21-25] KWNH E 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) gridded binary (GRIB) files are in meters. The NDFD Graphical Display at https://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 October 16, 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/