812  
NOUS41 KWBC 191520  
PNSWSH  
 
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 25-98  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS SILVER SPRING MD  
1020 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 WEATHER, AND MARINE FORECAST  
ZONES FOR NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE CHARLESTON, SC EFFECTIVE  
MARCH 3, 2026  
 
EFFECTIVE ON TUE, MARCH 3, 2026, AT 4:00 PM EASTERN STANDARD  
TIME (CST), 2100 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC), 2100  
COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC), NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE IN  
CHARLESTON, SC (CHS) WILL COMPLETE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BOUNDARIES  
OF EXISTING PUBLIC AND FIRE WEATHER FORECAST ZONES ENCOMPASSING  
CHARLESTON, BERKELEY, COLLETON, BEAUFORT, AND JASPER COUNTIES IN  
COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA, AND CHATHAM, BRYAN, LIBERTY, AND  
MCINTOSH COUNTIES IN COASTAL GEORGIA. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WILL  
BE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MARINE ZONES COVERING  
THE COASTAL WATERS OUT TO 20 NM OFFSHORE AND THE CHARLESTON  
HARBOR. PUBLIC, FIRE WEATHER, AND MARINE ZONE NUMBERS WILL ALSO  
BE ADJUSTED.  
 
IF MARCH 3, 2026 IS DECLARED A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY, THIS  
IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE POSTPONED TO MARCH 4, 2026 AT 2100 UTC.  
 
THESE CHANGES ARE INTENDED TO BETTER REPRESENT CURRENT COASTAL  
GEOGRAPHY AND IMPROVE THE FUNCTIONALITY OF INTERNAL SYSTEMS.  
 
TABLE 1: CURRENT PUBLIC AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE UGC NUMBERS AND  
NAMES:  
 
CURRENT UGC: PUBLIC ZONE NAME  
-----------------------------  
SCZ050: CHARLESTON  
SCZ052: TIDAL BERKELEY  
SCZ049: COASTAL COLLETON  
SCZ048: BEAUFORT  
SCZ047: INLAND JASPER  
SCZ051: COASTAL JASPER  
 
GAZ118: INLAND CHATHAM  
GAZ119: COASTAL CHATHAM  
GAZ116: INLAND BRYAN  
GAZ117: COASTAL BRYAN  
GAZ138: INLAND LIBERTY  
GAZ139: COASTAL LIBERTY  
GAZ140: INLAND MCINTOSH  
GAZ141: COASTAL MCINTOSH  
 
TABLE 2: NEW PUBLIC AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE UGC NUMBERS AND NAMES  
EFFECTIVE MARCH 8TH, 2026:  
 
NEW UGC: PUBLIC ZONE NAME  
-----------------------------  
SCZ150: CHARLESTON  
SCZ152: TIDAL BERKELEY  
SCZ149: COASTAL COLLETON  
SCZ148: BEAUFORT  
SCZ147: INLAND JASPER  
SCZ151: COASTAL JASPER  
 
GAZ218: INLAND CHATHAM  
GAZ219: COASTAL CHATHAM  
GAZ216: INLAND BRYAN  
GAZ217: COASTAL BRYAN  
GAZ238: INLAND LIBERTY  
GAZ239: COASTAL LIBERTY  
GAZ240: INLAND MCINTOSH  
GAZ241: COASTAL MCINTOSH  
 
TABLE 3: CURRENT MARINE ZONE UGC NUMBERS AND NAMES:  
 
CURRENT UGC: MARINE ZONE NAME  
-------------------------  
AMZ330: CHARLESTON HARBOR  
AMZ350: COASTAL WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO EDISTO BEACH  
SC OUT 20 NM  
AMZ352: COASTAL WATERS FROM EDISTO BEACH SC TO SAVANNAH GA OUT  
20 NM  
AMZ354: COASTAL WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA OUT  
20 NM, INCLUDING GRAYS REEF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY  
 
TABLE 4: NEW MARINE ZONE UGC NUMBERS AND NAMES:  
 
NEW UGC: MARINE ZONE NAME  
-------------------------  
AMZ340: CHARLESTON HARBOR  
AMZ360: COASTAL WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO EDISTO BEACH  
SC OUT 20 NM  
AMZ362: COASTAL WATERS FROM EDISTO BEACH SC TO SAVANNAH GA OUT  
20 NM  
AMZ364: COASTAL WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA OUT  
20 NM, INCLUDING GRAYS REEF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY  
 
TABLE 5: NWS PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THE WFO CHARLESTON, SC PUBLIC,  
MARINE, AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE CHANGES EFFECTIVE MARCH 3, 2026:  
 
PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID  
------------- ----------- --------  
AIR QUALITY ALERT AEUS72 KCHS AQACHS  
AIR QUALITY INDEX FORECAST AEUS72 KCHS AQICHS  
AREA FORECAST MATRICES FOUS52 KCHS AFMCHS  
ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT FPUS52 KCHS ZFPCHS  
POINT FORECAST MATRICES FOUS52 KCHS PFMCHS  
RECREATIONAL FORECAST SXUS42 KCHS RECCHS  
TABULAR STATE FORECAST FPUS62 KCHS SFTCHS  
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FXUS62 KCHS AFDCHS  
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WWUS82 KCHS SPSCHS  
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NOUS42 KCHS PNSCHS  
NON-PRECIPITATION WEATHER HAZARDS WWUS72 KCHS NPWCHS  
MESSAGE  
TROPICAL CYCLONE WATCH/WARNING WTNT81 KNHC TCVAT1-5  
LOCAL TROPICAL WATCH/WARNING WTUS82 KCHS TCVCHS  
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WTUS82 KCHS HLSCHS  
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE WHUS42 KCHS CFWCHS  
FLOOD WATCH WGUS62 KCHS FFACHS  
WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE WWUS42 KCHS WSWCHS  
FIRE WEATHER FORECAST FNUS52 KCHS FWFCHS  
FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE WWUS82 KCHS RFWCHS  
COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FZUS52 KCHS CWFCHS  
SURF ZONE FORECAST FZUS52 KCHS SRFCHS  
MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE WHUS72 KCHS MWWCHS  
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FLUS72 KCHS HWOCHS  
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING WHUS52 KCHS SMWCHS  
MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT FZUS72 KCHS MWSCHS  
WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION WWUS62 KCHS WCNCHS  
 
NWS PARTNERS AND USERS SHOULD TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO  
ENSURE SYSTEMS REFLECT THE NEW ZONE ALIGNMENTS AND NUMBERS.  
 
PRELIMINARY SHAPEFILES FOR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST ZONES ARE  
AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:  
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/PUBLICZONES  
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/COUNTIES  
 
FINAL VERSIONS OF THESE SHAPEFILES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON FEBRUARY  
13, 2026.  
 
TEXT AND GRAPHICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CHANGES ARE ONLINE AT:  
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/CHS/2026FORECASTZONECHANGES  
 
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT:  
CARL BARNES  
SCIENCE AND OPERATIONS OFFICER  
CHARLESTON, SC  
843-744-5860  
 
NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT:  
 
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NOTIFICATION/  
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