diff --git a/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/common/TafPeriod.java b/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/common/TafPeriod.java
index 44b0457599..bd315aef7f 100644
--- a/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/common/TafPeriod.java
+++ b/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/common/TafPeriod.java
@@ -115,10 +115,11 @@ public class TafPeriod implements Serializable {
      */
     public static TafPeriod copy(TafPeriod period) {
         TafPeriod periodCopy = new TafPeriod();
-        periodCopy.startDate = (Calendar) period.startDate.clone();
-        periodCopy.transitionEndDate = (Calendar) period.transitionEndDate
-                .clone();
-        periodCopy.endDate = (Calendar) period.endDate.clone();
+        /* these may be null */
+        periodCopy.startDate = TimeUtil.newCalendar(period.startDate);
+        periodCopy.transitionEndDate = TimeUtil
+                .newCalendar(period.transitionEndDate);
+        periodCopy.endDate = TimeUtil.newCalendar(period.endDate);
 
         return periodCopy;
     }
diff --git a/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/decoder/TAFChangeGroupFactory.java b/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/decoder/TAFChangeGroupFactory.java
index 8db9ea60d4..27ca98f5b9 100644
--- a/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/decoder/TAFChangeGroupFactory.java
+++ b/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/decoder/TAFChangeGroupFactory.java
@@ -583,12 +583,13 @@ public class TAFChangeGroupFactory {
                     period1 = group1.getTafChangePeriod();
                     period2 = group2.getTafChangePeriod();
 
-                    period1.setEndDate((Calendar) period2.getStartDate()
-                            .clone());
+                    period1.setEndDate(TimeUtil.newCalendar(period2
+                            .getStartDate()));
 
                 }
                 // The last group gets the TAF end datetime.
-                period2.setEndDate((Calendar) validPeriod.getEndDate().clone());
+                period2.setEndDate(TimeUtil.newCalendar(validPeriod
+                        .getEndDate()));
             }
 
             record.setIssue_time(issueTime.getTime());
diff --git a/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/decoder/TAFParser.java b/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/decoder/TAFParser.java
index 0f4c555b90..57749f03c7 100644
--- a/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/decoder/TAFParser.java
+++ b/edexOsgi/com.raytheon.edex.plugin.taf/src/com/raytheon/edex/plugin/taf/decoder/TAFParser.java
@@ -152,10 +152,10 @@ public class TAFParser {
                     int currGroup = 0;
                     for (String grp : tafGroups) {
 
-                        Calendar cStart = (Calendar) validPeriod.getStartDate()
-                                .clone();
-                        Calendar cStop = (Calendar) validPeriod.getEndDate()
-                                .clone();
+                        Calendar cStart = TimeUtil.newCalendar(validPeriod
+                                .getStartDate());
+                        Calendar cStop = TimeUtil.newCalendar(validPeriod
+                                .getEndDate());
 
                         TafPeriod tPeriod = new TafPeriod(cStart, cStop);
                         ChangeGroup group = new ChangeGroup(grp, tPeriod);
@@ -194,8 +194,8 @@ public class TAFParser {
                             period1 = group1.getTafChangePeriod();
                             period2 = group2.getTafChangePeriod();
 
-                            period1.setEndDate((Calendar) period2
-                                    .getStartDate().clone());
+                            period1.setEndDate(TimeUtil.newCalendar(period2
+                                    .getStartDate()));
 
                         }
                         period2.setEndDate((Calendar) validPeriod.getEndDate()
diff --git a/ncep/gov.noaa.nws.ncep.common.dataplugin.nctaf/src/gov/noaa/nws/ncep/common/dataplugin/nctaf/NcTafPeriod.java b/ncep/gov.noaa.nws.ncep.common.dataplugin.nctaf/src/gov/noaa/nws/ncep/common/dataplugin/nctaf/NcTafPeriod.java
index 2e20987196..eaff257907 100644
--- a/ncep/gov.noaa.nws.ncep.common.dataplugin.nctaf/src/gov/noaa/nws/ncep/common/dataplugin/nctaf/NcTafPeriod.java
+++ b/ncep/gov.noaa.nws.ncep.common.dataplugin.nctaf/src/gov/noaa/nws/ncep/common/dataplugin/nctaf/NcTafPeriod.java
@@ -102,10 +102,9 @@ public class NcTafPeriod implements Serializable {
      */
     public static NcTafPeriod copy(NcTafPeriod period) {
         NcTafPeriod periodCopy = new NcTafPeriod();
-        periodCopy.startDate = (Calendar) period.startDate.clone();
-        periodCopy.transitionEndDate = (Calendar) period.transitionEndDate
-                .clone();
-        periodCopy.endDate = (Calendar) period.endDate.clone();
+        periodCopy.startDate = TimeUtil.newCalendar(period.startDate);
+        periodCopy.transitionEndDate = TimeUtil.newCalendar(period.transitionEndDate);
+        periodCopy.endDate = TimeUtil.newCalendar(period.endDate);
 
         return periodCopy;
     }
diff --git a/ncep/gov.noaa.nws.ncep.edex.plugin.nctaf/src/gov/noaa/nws/ncep/edex/plugin/nctaf/decoder/NcTafChangeGroupFactory.java b/ncep/gov.noaa.nws.ncep.edex.plugin.nctaf/src/gov/noaa/nws/ncep/edex/plugin/nctaf/decoder/NcTafChangeGroupFactory.java
index 9f37797663..b9ecb63945 100644
--- a/ncep/gov.noaa.nws.ncep.edex.plugin.nctaf/src/gov/noaa/nws/ncep/edex/plugin/nctaf/decoder/NcTafChangeGroupFactory.java
+++ b/ncep/gov.noaa.nws.ncep.edex.plugin.nctaf/src/gov/noaa/nws/ncep/edex/plugin/nctaf/decoder/NcTafChangeGroupFactory.java
@@ -527,12 +527,13 @@ public class NcTafChangeGroupFactory {
                     period1 = group1.getTafChangePeriod();
                     period2 = group2.getTafChangePeriod();
 
-                    period1.setEndDate((Calendar) period2.getStartDate()
-                            .clone());
+                    period1.setEndDate(TimeUtil.newCalendar(period2
+                            .getStartDate()));
 
                 }
                 // The last group gets the TAF end datetime.
-                period2.setEndDate((Calendar) validPeriod.getEndDate().clone());
+                period2.setEndDate(TimeUtil.newCalendar(validPeriod
+                        .getEndDate()));
             }
 
             record.setIssue_time(issueTime.getTime());
@@ -642,12 +643,13 @@ public class NcTafChangeGroupFactory {
                     period1 = group1.getTafChangePeriod();
                     period2 = group2.getTafChangePeriod();
 
-                    period1.setEndDate((Calendar) period2.getStartDate()
-                            .clone());
+                    period1.setEndDate(TimeUtil.newCalendar(period2
+                            .getStartDate()));
 
                 }
                 // The last group gets the TAF end datetime.
-                period2.setEndDate((Calendar) validPeriod.getEndDate().clone());
+                period2.setEndDate(TimeUtil.newCalendar(validPeriod
+                        .getEndDate()));
             }
 
             record.setIssue_time(issueTime.getTime());