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NOUS41 KWBC 262210 AAA
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 25-98 UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS SILVER SPRING MD
510 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, FIRE WEATHER, AND MARINE
FORECAST ZONES FOR NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE CHARLESTON, SC
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 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
ARBOR. PUBLIC, FIRE WEATHER, AND MARINE ZONE NUMBERS WILL ALSO
BE ADJUSTED.
IF APRIL 16, 2026 IS DECLARED A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY, THIS
IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE POSTPONED TO APRIL 20, 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
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
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 MARCH
24, 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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