529
NOUS41 KWBC 191415
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 25-93
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS SILVER SPRING MD
915 AM EDT FRI DEC 19 2025
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
-NOAAPORT
OTHER NWS PARTNERS, USERS AND EMPLOYEES
FROM: MARY MULLUSKY, CHIEF
OPERATIONS SERVICES DIVISION
SUBJECT: CHANGES TO FIRE FORECAST ZONES FOR WFO EUREKA, CA
EFFECTIVE MARCH 3, 2026
EFFECTIVE TUE, MARCH 3, 2026, AT 1:00 PM PACIFIC STANDARD TIME
(ST), 2100 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC), THE NWS WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICE IN EUREKA, CA (EKA) WILL CHANGE FIRE WEATHER
FORECAST ZONES ENCOMPASSING DEL NORTE, HUMBOLDT, TRINITY,
MENDOCINO, AND LAKE COUNTIES IN NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. AFTER
THIS CHANGE, ALL FORECASTS AND RELATED PRODUCTS WILL USE THE
ZONE NUMBERS AND NAMES SHOWN IN TABLE 2 BELOW.
IF MARCH 3, 2026 IS DECLARED A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY, THIS
IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE POSTPONED TO MARCH 4, 2026 AT 2100 UTC.
THESE CHANGES WILL RESULT IN MORE GEOGRAPHICALLY PRECISE
FORECAST, WATCH AND WARNING PRODUCTS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND
WILL ENHANCE WEB-BASED GRAPHICAL PRODUCT CONSISTENCY AND
APPEARANCE.
TEN CURRENT ZONES WILL BE CONVERTED INTO 21 SEPARATE ZONES.
THESE NEW ZONES ARE BEING DIVIDED TO OPTIMIZE ISSUANCE OF HAZARD
PRODUCTS FOR CONDITIONS THAT VARY SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE RUGGED
TERRAIN OF NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. THE NEW ZONES ARE LISTED IN
TABLE 2.
TABLE 1. UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHIC CODES (UGC): CURRENT FIRE FORECAST
ZONE NAME
----------------------------------
CAZ201: NORTH COAST
CAZ202: COASTAL MENDOCINO
CAZ203: UPPER SMITH
CAZ204: LOWER MIDDLE KLAMATH
CAZ211: HOOPA
CAZ212: VAN DUZEN/MAD RIVER
CAZ264: LAKE COUNTY PORTION OF LAKE/NAPA/SONOMA RU
CAZ276: INTERIOR MENDOCINO
CAZ277: W MENDOCINO NF/E MENDOCINO UNIT
CAZ283: TRINITY
TABLE 2. UGC: NEW FIRE FORECAST ZONE NAME
-------------------------------
CAZ401: COASTAL DEL NORTE
CAZ402: INTERIOR DEL NORTE INCLUDING THE SMITH RIVER VALLEY
CAZ403: NORTHEASTERN INTERIOR HUMBOLDT AND SOUTHWESTERN SISKIYOU
INCLUDING ORLEANS
CAZ404: NORTHERN COASTAL HUMBOLDT
CAZ405: WESTERN INTERIOR HUMBOLDT INCLUDING THE BALD HILLS
CAZ406: EASTERN INTERIOR HUMBOLDT INCLUDING WILLOW CREEK AND
HOOPA
CAZ407: SOUTHEASTERN INTERIOR HUMBOLDT INCLUDING KNEELAND AND
ALDERPOINT
CAZ408: SOUTHWESTERN HUMBOLDT INCLUDING THE KING RANGE AND THE
EEL RIVER VALLEY
CAZ409: NORTHWESTERN TRINITY INCLUDING SALYER AND BIG BAR
CAZ410: NORTHEASTERN TRINITY INCLUDING TRINITY LAKE
CAZ411: EASTERN TRINITY INCLUDING WEAVERVILLE AND HAYFORK
CAZ412: SOUTHERN TRINITY INCLUDING RUTH LAKE AND THE YOLLA
BOLLYS
CAZ413: COASTAL MENDOCINO
CAZ414: NORTHERN INTERIOR MENDOCINO INCLUDING LEGGETT AND
WILLITS
CAZ415: NORTHEASTERN INTERIOR MENDOCINO INCLUDING COVELO
CAZ416: SOUTHEASTERN INTERIOR MENDOCINO INCLUDING UKIAH AND
POTTER VALLEY
CAZ417: SOUTHWESTERN INTERIOR MENDOCINO INCLUDING BOONEVILLE
CAZ418: NORTHERN LAKE INCLUDING GRAVELLY VALLEY
CAZ419: EASTERN LAKE INCLUDING CLEARLAKE AND MIDDLETOWN
CAZ420: SOUTHERN LAKE INCLUDING COBB AND KONOCTI
CAZ421: WESTERN LAKE INCLUDING LAKEPORT
TABLE 3. NWS PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THE WFO EUREKA, CA,
BY THESE FIRE WEATHER FORECAST ZONE CHANGES ARE LISTED BELOW.
PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID
------------- ----------- --------
FIRE WEATHER FORECAST FNUS56 KEKA FWFEKA
RED FLAG WARNING WWUS86 KEKA RFWEKA
FIRE WARNING WOUS46 KEKA FRWEKA
NWS PARTNERS AND USERS WILL NEED TO MAKE NECESSARY CHANGES TO
THEIR COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS TO ACCOMMODATE THESE WEATHER
FORECAST ZONE CHANGES.
PRELIMINARY SHAPEFILES FOR FIRE WEATHER FORECAST ZONES ARE
AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/FIREZONES
FINAL VERSIONS OF THESE SHAPEFILES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON FEBRUARY
13, 2026.
A GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THIS CHANGE IS ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/EKA/2026_FIRE_ZONE_CHANGE
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
RYAN AYLWARD
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NWS EUREKA, CA
RYAN.AYLWARD@NOAA.GOV
OR
JAMES WHITE
FIRE WEATHER TEAM LEAD
NWS EUREKA, CA
JAMES.H.WHITE@NOAA.GOV
NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NOTIFICATION/
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