584
NOUS43 KBIS 201745
PNSBIS
NDZ001>005-009-010-012-013-017>020-022-023-025-031>033-035>037-
040>044-046>048-050-051-055>062-211800-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1245 PM CDT MON APR 20 2026 /1145 AM MDT MON APR 20 2026/
...CHANGES MADE TO IMPROVE PUBLIC FORECAST ZONES IN CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA...
ON THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026, THE NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE IN
BISMARCK, ND IMPLEMENTED PLANNED CHANGES TO THE PUBLIC FORECAST
ZONES ENCOMPASSING MCLEAN, MORTON, SIOUX, AND WARD COUNTIES IN
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. THE MCLEAN, MORTON, SIOUX, AND WARD
FORECAST ZONES WERE EACH SPLIT INTO TWO ZONES.
THESE CHANGES WILL RESULT IN MORE GEOGRAPHICALLY PRECISE FORECAST,
WATCH, WARNING AND ADVISORY PRODUCTS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND
WILL ENHANCE WEB-BASED GRAPHICAL PRODUCT CONSISTENCY AND
APPEARANCE. FOUR PREVIOUS ZONES WERE CONVERTED INTO EIGHT SEPARATE
ZONES. THESE NEW ZONES WERE DIVIDED TO OPTIMIZE ISSUANCE OF
HAZARD PRODUCTS FOR CONDITIONS THAT VARY SIGNIFICANTLY IN CENTRAL
NORTH DAKOTA, ESPECIALLY DURING WINTER WEATHER AND HIGH WIND
EVENTS.
THE NEW PUBLIC ZONE NUMBERS (UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODES...UGC)
AND ZONE NAMES ARE LISTED BELOW:
NDZ055: NORTHWEST WARD
NDZ056: CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WARD/MINOT AREA
NDZ057: WESTERN MCLEAN
NDZ058: EASTERN MCLEAN
NDZ059: WESTERN MORTON
NDZ060: EASTERN MORTON
NDZ061: WESTERN SIOUX
NDZ062: EASTERN SIOUX
THE NEW ZONES REPLACED THESE PREVIOUS UGC NUMBERS AND PUBLIC
ZONES:
NDZ011: WARD
NDZ021: MCLEAN
NDZ034: MORTON
NDZ045: SIOUX
A GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THIS CHANGE IS ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS/ZONECHANGE2026
CJS
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