156
NOUS41 KWBC 191505
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 25-97
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS SILVER SPRING MD
1005 AM EST 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 PUBLIC, FIRE, AND MARINE FORECAST ZONES FOR
WFO WAKEFIELD, VA, EFFECTIVE MARCH 3, 2026
EFFECTIVE ON TUE, MARCH 3, 2026,AT 4:00 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME
(EST), 2100 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC), MARINE ZONE
ANZ638, SERVED BY NWS WFO WAKEFIELD, VA, WILL BE EXPANDED
SLIGHTLY TO INCLUDE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF CHUCKATUCK CREEK, AS
WELL AS THE ELIZABETH AND NANSEMOND RIVERS.
IF MARCH 3, 2026 IS DECLARED A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY, THIS
IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE POSTPONED TO MARCH 4, 2026 AT 2100 UTC
THESE AREAS IN THE MARINE ZONE EXPANSION WILL MOSTLY BE CARVED
FROM THE LAND-BASED ZONES OF THE ADJACENT VA CITIES OF NORFOLK,
SUFFOLK, AND CHESAPEAKE, AS WELL AS ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, VA. A
LINE EAST-NORTHEAST OF US HIGHWAY 17 WILL BE USED FOR THE NEWLY
EXPANDED MARINE ZONE IN ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY AND THE CITY OF
CHESAPEAKE, ALONG THE CHUCKATUCK CREEK AND NANSEMOND RIVER,
RESPECTIVELY. HIGHWAY 17 WILL ALSO SERVE AS THE FAR
SOUTHWESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE NEWLY EXPANDED MARINE ZONE ALONG
THE WESTERN BRANCH OF THE ELIZABETH RIVER. THE DOWNTOWN TUNNEL
AND THE BERKLEY BRIDGE SERVE AS THE FAR SOUTH AND SOUTHEASTERN
BOUNDS OF THE NEWLY EXPANDED MARINE ZONE ON THE EASTERN BRANCH
SIDE. THE ZONE ANZ638 WILL CHANGE TO AMZ639 AND BE RENAMED TO
“JAMES RIVER FROM JRB TO THE HAMPTON ROADS BRIDGE TUNNEL
INCLUDING THE ELIZABETH RIVER”.
THESE CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE IN COORDINATION WITH THE UNITED
STATES COAST GUARD, THE VIRGINIA MARITIME ASSOCIATION, THE PORT
OF VIRGINIA, AND OTHER PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE
MODIFICATION OF THE LOWER JAMES RIVER MARINE ZONE WILL ENHANCE
SAFETY AND IMPROVE MARINE FORECAST AND WARNING SERVICES PROVIDED
TO THE MARINE COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA.
THE CITIES OF NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH, DIVIDED BY THE ELIZABETH
RIVER, WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO SEPARATE ZONES. CURRENTLY NORFOLK
AND PORTSMOUTH ARE COMBINED INTO ZONE NUMBER VA095. THESE
CITIES WILL BE SPLIT TO NORFOLK ZONE VA530 AND PORTSMOUTH ZONE
VA531.DIVIDING THESE INTO 2 SEPARATE ZONES WILL ALLOW FOR MORE
PRECISE WATCHES, WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES FOR THE 2 CITIES.
THE MAJORITY OF PUBLIC IMPACTS WILL BE OBSERVED BY MARINERS AND
THOSE IN NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH, WHO WILL NOW RECEIVE MORE
FOCUSED WATCHES, WARNINGS, AND ADVISORIES IN THESE AREAS.
SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS WILL ALSO BE ISSUED FOR THREATS TO
BOATERS, INSTEAD OF LAND-BASED WARNINGS THAT OFTEN HAVE HIGHER
THRESHOLDS OF INTENSITY (SUCH AS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING)
OR LACK RELEVANCE TO MARINE AREAS (SUCH AS A FLASH FLOOD
WARNING). THE USCG ALSO BROADCASTS SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS
ACROSS THE MARINE BAND RADIO. THIS CHANGE PRIMARILY CHANGES THE
MARINE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY AND THE CITIES OF NORFOLK AND
PORTSMOUTH.
TABLE 1: UGC-Z: CURRENT MARINE ZONE NUMBER AND NAME OF IMPACTED
ZONE
----------------------------------
ANZ638: JAMES RIVER FROM JAMES RIVER BRIDGE TO THE HAMPTON ROADS
BRIDGE TUNNEL
TABLE 2: UGC-Z: NEW MARINE ZONE NUMBER AND NAME OF IMPACTED ZONE
----------------------------------
ANZ639: JAMES RIVER FROM JRB TO HRBT, INCLUDING THE ELIZABETH
RIVER
TABLE 3. UGC-Z: CURRENT PUBLIC ZONE NUMBERS OF IMPACTED ZONES
----------------------------------
VAZ093: ISLE OF WIGHT
VAZ096: SUFFOLK
VAZ095: NORFOLK / PORTSMOUTH
TABLE 4: UGC-Z: NEW PUBLIC ZONE NUMBERS OF IMPACTED ZONES
----------------------------------
VAZ528: ISLE OF WIGHT
VAZ529: SUFFOLK
VAZ530: NORFOLK
VAZ531: PORTSMOUTH
TABLE 3: NWS PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THESE ZONE CHANGES
PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID
------------- ----------- --------
COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FZUS51 KAKQ CWFAKQ
MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE WHUS51 KAKQ SMWAKQ
MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT FZUS71 KAKQ MWSAKQ
MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE WHUS71 KAKQ MWWAKQ
SURF ZONE FORECAST FZUS51 KAKQ SRFAKQ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FXUS61 KAKQ AFDAKQ
AREA FORECAST MATRICES FOUS51 KAKQ AFMAKQ
POINT FORECAST MATRICES FOUS51 KAKQ PFMAKQ
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT FPUS51 KAKQ ZFPAKQ
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NOUS41 KAKQ PNSAKQ
FLOOD WATCH/WARNING WGUS61 KAKQ FFAAKQ
WINTER STORM WATCH/WARNING WWUS41 KAKQ WSWAKQ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WWUS81 KAKQ SPSAKQ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FLUS41 KAKQ HWOAKQ
AIR QUALITY ALERTS AEUS71 KAKQ AQAAKQ
AIR QUALITY INDEX FORECAST AEUS71 KAKQ AQIAKQ
TABULAR STATE FORECAST FPUS61 KAKQ SFTAKQ
FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE WWUS81 KAKQ RFWAKQ
NON-PRECIPITATION WATCH/WARNING/ WWUS71 KAKQ NPWAKQ
ADVISORY
WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION WWUS61 KAKQ WCNAKQ
NWS PARTNERS AND USERS SHOULD TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO
ENSURE SYSTEMS RECOGNIZE THE NEW ZONE ALIGNMENTS AND ADJUSTED
NAME OF ANZ638.
PRELIMINARY SHAPEFILES FOR MARINE AND PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST
ZONES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/MARINEZONES
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/PUBLICZONES
FINAL VERSIONS OF THESE SHAPEFILES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON FEBRUARY
13, 2026.
FOR A GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THESE CHANGES PLEASE REFER TO THE
LINK BELOW:
HTTPS://STORYMAPS.ARCGIS.COM/STORIES/A111698FDA93417F997A4976939
8A773
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
JEFF ORROCK
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE
NWS WAKEFIELD, VA
JEFF.ORROCK@NOAA.GOV
757-899-5731
CHRIS BIRCHFIELD
MARINE PROGRAM MANAGER
NWS EASTERN REGION HEADQUARTERS
BOHEMIA, NY
CHRIS.BIRCHFIELD@NOAA.GOV
631-244-0125
NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NOTIFICATION/
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