380
NOUS41 KWBC 262140 AAC
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 25-94 UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS SILVER SPRING MD
440 PM EST THU FEB 26 2026
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: UPDATED: CHANGES TO PUBLIC, MARINE AND FIRE WEATHER
FORECAST ZONES FOR WFO ANCHORAGE, AK EFFECTIVE APRIL 16, 2026
UPDATED TO CHANGE THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE FROM MARCH 3, 2026 TO
APRIL 16, 2026 AND FINAL VERSIONS OF THE SHAPEFILES WILL BE
AVAILABLE ON MARCH 24, 2026.
EFFECTIVE ON THU, APRIL 16, 2026, AT 12:00 PM ALASKA STANDARD
TIME (AKDT), 2100 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC), THE NWS
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE (WFO) IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (AFC) WILL
IMPLEMENT MINOR REFINEMENTS TO PUBLIC, MARINE AND FIRE WEATHER
FORECAST ZONES BOUNDARIES. DUE TO THE LIMITED SPATIAL EXTENT OF
THESE CHANGES, ZONES WILL NOT CHANGE NUMBERS OR NAMES (AND THERE
IS ONLY ONE NEW MARINE ZONE CREATED). SPECIFICS ARE SHOWN IN
TABLES 2, 4 AND 5 BELOW.
IF APRIL 16, 2026 IS DECLARED A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY, THIS
IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE POSTPONED TO APRIL 20, 2026 AT 2100 UTC.
MINOR CHANGES WILL BE MADE TO THE EASTERN ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND
SUSITNA VALLEY PUBLIC (AND FIRE WEATHER) ZONES. SUSITNA VALLEY
CHANGES WILL BETTER REFLECT FORECASTS DURING FLOODING EVENTS. NO
NEW ZONE NAMES OR NUMBERS WILL RESULT. CHANGES TO THE ALEUTIAN
PUBLIC ZONES ARE BELOW IN TABLES 2 AND 3; ASIDE FROM REFLECTING
A NAMING CONVENTION PREFERRED BY THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES,
AKUTAN WILL NOW BE INCLUDED IN ZONE AKZ781, CORRESPONDING TO THE
CORRECT BOROUGH BOUNDARY:
TABLE 1: UGC-Z: CURRENT PUBLIC ZONE NAME OF IMPACTED ZONES
--------------------------------------------
AKZ781: SOUTHERN ALASKA PENINSULA
AKZ785: EASTERN ALEUTIANS
AKZ787: CENTRAL ALEUTIANS
AKZ791: WESTERN ALEUTIANS
AKZ761: CENTRAL ALASKA PENINSULA
AKZ773: CHIGNIK
TABLE 2: UGC-Z: NEW PUBLIC ZONE NAME OF IMPACTED ZONES
--------------------------------------------
AKZ781: ALEUTIANS EAST BOROUGH
AKZ785: UNALASKA AND NIKOLSKI
AKZ787: ATKA AND ADAK
AKZ791: SHEMYA AND ATTU ISLANDS
AKZ761: SOUTHERN ALASKA PENINSULA
AKZ773: CHIGNIK AND PERRYVILLE
MINOR ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE MADE TO MARINE ZONES ALONG THE
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS TO BETTER REFLECT MARINE ZONE FORECASTS IN THE
AREA OF UNIMAK PASS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED ZONE NUMBERS AND NAMES
IN TABLE 3 ARE NOT CHANGING. ADDITIONALLY, ONE NEW MARINE ZONE
WILL BE CREATED, SEE TABLE 4. DETAILS ARE BELOW:
TABLE 3: UGC-Z: IMPACTED MARINE ZONE NAME
--------------------------------------------
PKZ770-774 WERE CONTRACTED, WHILE AKZ755 AND 759 WERE EXTENDED.
PKZ770: CAPE SARICHEF TO NIKOSKI BERING SIDE OUT TO 15 NM
PKZ772: CAPE SARICHEF TO NIKOSKI BERING SIDE FROM 15 TO 85 NM
PKZ773: CAPE SARICHEF TO NIKOSKI PACIFIC SIDE OUT TO 15 NM
PKZ774: CAPE SARICHEF TO NIKOSKI PACIFIC SIDE FROM 15 TO 85 NM
PKZ755: CAPE TOLSTOI TO CAPE SARICHEF 15 TO 100 NM
PKZ759: NELSON LAGOON TO CAPE SARICHEF FROM 15 TO 70 NM
TABLE 4: UGC-Z: NEW MARINE ZONE NAME
--------------------------------------------
PKZ768: UNIMAK PASS
FIRE WEATHER ZONES WILL BE ADJUSTED ON THE KENAI PENINSULA NEAR
THE AREA OF SKILAK LAKE TO BETTER DIFFERENTIATE FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS IN AREAS WEST OF THE KENAI MOUNTAINS. DETAILS BELOW:
TABLE 5: UGC-Z: IMPACTED FIRE WEATHER FORECAST ZONE NAME
--------------------------------------------
AKZ723: NORTHWEST KENAI PENINSULA
AKZ724: SKILAK LAKE / EASTERN STERLING HIGHWAY
TABLE 6: UGC-Z: NEW FIRE WEATHER ZONE NAME OF IMPACTED ZONES
--------------------------------------------
AKZ733: NORTHWEST KENAI PENINSULA
AKZ734: SKILAK LAKE / EASTERN STERLING HIGHWAY
THESE CHANGES WILL IMPROVE FORECAST, WATCH, WARNING, AND
ADVISORY SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING THE “POINT AND CLICK”
FORECAST.
TABLE 6: NWS PRODUCTS AFFECTED BY THE WFO ANCHORAGE ZONE CHANGES
ARE LISTED BELOW.
PRODUCT NAME WMO HEADING AWIPS ID
------------- ----------- --------
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FXAK68 PAFC AFDAFC
AVALANCHE WEATHER GUIDANCE FWAK48 PAFC AVGAFC
SPECIAL AVALANCHE BULLETIN WWAK88 PAFC SABAFC
COASTAL FLOOD WATCH/WARNING/STATEMENT WHAK42 PAFC CFWALU
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WWAK82 PAFC SPSALU
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NOAK48 PAFC PNSAFC
ZONE FORECAST FPAK52 PAFC ZFPALU
WINTER WEATHER WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY WWAK42 PAFC WSWALU
NON-PRECIPITATION WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY WWAK72 PAFC NPWALU
FIRE WEATHER FORECAST FNAK51 PAFC FWFAER
RED FLAG WARNING WWAK61 PAFC RFWAER
TSUNAMI WARNING WEPA41 PAAQ TSUWCA
FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD WATCH WGAK68 PAFC FFAAFC
FLOOD WARNING WGAK58 PAFC FLWAFC
FLASH FLOOD WARNING WGAK58 PAFC FFWAFC
FLOOD STATEMENT WGAK88 PAFC FLSAFC
FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK FGAK78 PAFC ESFAFC
POINT FORECAST MATRIX FOAK52 PAFC PFMALU
COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FZAK52 PAFC CWFALU
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING WHAK58 PAFC SMWAFC
MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT FZAK78 PAFC MWSAFC
PRELIMINARY SHAPEFILES FOR PUBLIC, MARINE, AND FIRE WEATHER
FORECAST ZONES AND COUNTY WARNING AREA BOUNDARIES ARE AVAILABLE
ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/PUBLICZONES
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/MARINEZONES
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/FIREZONES
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/CWABOUNDS
FINAL VERSIONS OF THESE SHAPEFILES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON MARCH
24, 2026.
CHANGES ARE ALSO DETAILED ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/AFC/NWSANCHORAGELANDANDMARINEBASEDFORECA
STCHANGES
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
AVIVA BRAUN
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
ANCHORAGE, AK
AVIVA.BRAUN@NOAA.GOV
NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NOTIFICATION/
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