[BARC-List] Fwd: Public Information Statement: New Rip Current Product/Surf Zone Forecast Product

[William Ricker]

------Forward Message
Hello to all..

 

During the Summer Season, a new product called the Surf Zone Forecast will
be issued for Southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island beaches. Details
follow in the Public Information Statement listed below:

 

000

NOUS41 KBOX 202219

PNSBOX

 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA

620 PM EDT SUN MAY 20 2007

 

...NEW RIP CURRENT PRODUCT FOR RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEAST

MASSACHUSETTS BEACHES...

 

A NEW PRODUCT...THE SURF ZONE FORECAST...WILL BE ISSUED FOR RHODE

ISLAND AND SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS BEACHES THIS SUMMER SEASON.  THIS

PRODUCT WILL CONTAIN A FORECAST WHICH INCLUDES...

 

* THE THREAT OF RIP CURRENTS...

 

* WAVE HEIGHTS IN THE SURF ZONE...

 

* SURF WATER TEMPERATURE...

 

* TIMES OF LOW AND HIGH TIDE...

 

* BEACH WEATHER CONDITIONS...

 

* UVI INDEX FORECAST...

 

* THE THREAT OF LIGHTNING...

 

OVER 22,000 RIP CURRENT RELATED RESCUES OCCUR NATIONWIDE EACH YEAR

AND RIP CURRENTS ACCOUNT FOR 80 PERCENT OF ALL SURF RELATED RESCUES.

ALTHOUGH RIP CURRENTS CAN HAPPEN ANY TIME AND IN ANY LOCATION...

THERE ARE SOME DAYS WHERE RIP CURRENT FORMATION IS MORE FAVORABLE.

THE THREAT FROM RIP CURRENTS WILL BE IDENTIFIED EACH DAY USING A

LOW...MODERATE AND HIGH RISK LEVEL CATEGORY.

 

LOW RISK DAYS...WIND AND/OR WAVE CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO

SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF RIP CURRENTS. HOWEVER...RIP CURRENTS CAN

SOMETIMES OCCUR ESPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF GROINS...JETTIES AND

PIERS. KNOW HOW TO SWIM AND HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS.

 

MODERATE RISK DAYS...WIND AND/OR WAVE CONDITIONS SUPPORT STRONGER OR

MORE FREQUENT RIP CURRENTS. ONLY EXPERIENCED SURF SWIMMERS SHOULD

ENTER THE WATER.

 

HIGH RISK DAYS...WIND AND/OR WAVE CONDITIONS SUPPORT DANGEROUS RIP

CURRENTS. RIP CURRENTS ARE LIFE-THREATENING TO ANYONE ENTERING THE

SURF.

 

THE FIRST ISSUANCE OF THIS NEW PRODUCT WILL BE BETWEEN 5 AM AND 7 AM

SATURDAY MAY 26 2007.  FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SUMMER THIS PRODUCT WILL BE

ISSUED BY 7 AM EACH DAY AND UPDATED AS NEEDED. THE LAST ISSUANCE OF THE SURF

ZONE FORECAST FOR THE 2007 SUMMER SEASON WILL BE MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30

2007.

 

THIS NEW PRODUCT HAS WMO HEADER FZUS51 KBOX AND AWIPS IDENTIFIER

SRFBOX.

 

AN EXAMPLE OF THIS PRODUCT FOLLOWS...

 

---------------------------PRODUCT EXAMPLE---------------------------

 

FZUS51 KBOX 260918

SRFBOX

 

SURF ZONE FORECAST

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA

518 AM EDT SAT MAY 26 2007

 

.FOR THE BEACHES OF RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS

 

MAZ020-262030-

SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-

INCLUDING THE BEACHES OF...WESTPORT...DARTMOUTH AND NEW BEDFORD

518 AM EDT SAT MAY 26 2007

 

.TODAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY

MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 80

BEACH WINDS.........NORTH 5 TO 10 MPH

RIP CURRENT RISK....LOW.

SURF................1 TO 3 FT

WATER TEMPERATURE...60 DEGREES

UVI INDEX...........9 VERY HIGH

LIGHTNING THREAT....NO LIGHTNING

 

A LOW RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IMPLIES THAT WIND AND WAVE CONDITIONS ARE

NOT

EXPECTED TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENHANCED RIP CURRENTS.

HOWEVER...RIP CURRENTS ARE ALWAYS POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY NEAR JETTIES

AND OTHER STRUCTURES.

 

.TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY.  CHANCE OF SHOWERS.  LOWS IN THE UPPER

50S.  SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

.SUNDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY.  HIGHS NEAR 80.  NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10

MPH.

 

TIDE INFORMATION...

 

AT WESTPORT HARBOR...

 

HIGH TIDE AT 4:21 AM

LOW TIDE AT 10:41 AM

HIGH TIDE AT 4:52 PM

LOW TIDE AT 11:30 PM

 

$$

 

----------END OF PRODUCT EXAMPLE-------------------------------------

 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON MA LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING

WITH STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR BEACH SAFETY BY PROVIDING

THIS NEW SERVICE.

 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS NEW SERVICE PLEASE CONTACT

 

FRANK NOCERA

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA

PHONE 508-828-2672

EMAIL FRANK.NOCERA at NOAA.GOV

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RIP CURRENTS AS WELL AS ACCESS TO THIS

NEW PRODUCT CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/BOSTON

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)

ARES SKYWARN Coordinator

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator

Pager #: (508) 354-3142

Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)

Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)

Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)

Email Address: rmacedo at rcn.com

http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo

 



---
William Ricker wdr at theworld.com