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NOUS41 KWBC 262255 AAA
PNSWSH
SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 25-102 UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS SILVER SPRING MD
555 PM EST THU FEB 26 2026
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
-NOAAPORT
OTHER NWS PARTNERS AND EMPLOYEES
FROM: MARY MULLUSKY, CHIEF
OPERATIONS SERVICES DIVISION
SUBJECT: UPDATED: CHANGES TO ATLANTIC MARINE FORECAST ZONES FOR
THE OCEAN PREDICTION CENTER EFFECTIVE APRIL 16, 2026
UPDATED TO (1) CHANGE THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE FROM MARCH 3, 2026
TO APRIL 16, 2026, (2) THAT THE FINAL VERSIONS OF THE SHAPEFILES
WILL BE AVAILABLE ON MARCH 24, 2026, AND (3) TO UPDATE PREVIOUS
PROPOSED ZONE CHANGES.
EFFECTIVE ON THU, APRIL 16, 2026, AT 4:00 PM EASTERN STANDARD
TIME (EST), 2100 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC), THE OCEAN
PREDICTION CENTER WILL CHANGE MARINE FORECAST ZONES ENCOMPASSING
ITS ATLANTIC OFFSHORE WATERS. ZONE NUMBERS WILL REMAIN THE SAME
AND ONLY THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE INNER OFFSHORE WATERS WILL
CHANGE, WHICH WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE SHAPEFILES. UPON
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CHANGE, ALL OFFSHORE MARINE FORECASTS
FROM OPC WILL USE THE SAME ZONE NUMBERS AND ZONE NAMES - SEE
TABLE 1 BELOW.
OTHER CHANGES OCCURRING AT THE SAME TIME INVOLVE NEAR SHORE
MARINE ZONES, WITH THE OUTER EXTENT EXPANDING FROM APPROXIMATELY
20 NM OFFSHORE TO 60 NM OFFSHORE. THESE MARINE ZONES AREAS ARE
FORECAST BY WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES AND FOR DETAILS PLEASE SEE
SCN:25-101, SUBJECT: CHANGES TO MARINE ZONES FOR NWS WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICES FROM CARIBOU, ME TO CHARLESTON, SC EFFECTIVE
MARCH 3, 2026, WHICH ALSO CONTAINS GRAPHICAL DEPICTIONS OF THE
CHANGES.
IF APRIL 16, 2026 IS DECLARED A CRITICAL WEATHER DAY, THIS
IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE POSTPONED TO APRIL 20, 2026 AT 2100 UTC.
THESE CHANGES HAVE BEEN COORDINATED WITH PARTNERING AGENCIES AND
ARE PART OF A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EFFORT TO MAKE THE
OFFSHORE EXTENT OF COASTAL MARINE ZONES CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT
THE CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES. THE ZONE NUMBERS, NAMES, AND
ZONE FORECAST AREA DESCRIPTIONS ARE LISTED BELOW.
---------------------
TABLE 1: THE CURRENT ZONE NUMBERS AND ZONE AREA DESCRIPTIONS
LISTED BELOW WHERE ONLY THE SHAPEFILES WILL CHANGE.
CURRENT ZONE NUMBER: CURRENT ZONE NAME
ANZ800: GULF OF MAINE TO THE HAGUE LINE
ANZ805: GEORGES BANK BETWEEN CAPE COD AND 68W NORTH OF 1000 FM
ANZ810: SOUTH OF NEW ENGLAND BETWEEN THE GREAT SOUTH CHANNEL
AND MONTAUK POINT TO 1000 FM
ANZ815: SOUTH OF LONG ISLAND BETWEEN MONTAUK POINT AND SANDY
HOOK TO 1000 FM
ANZ820: HUDSON CANYON TO BALTIMORE CANYON TO 1000 FM
ANZ825: BALTIMORE CANYON TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT TO 100 NM
OFFSHORE
ANZ828: CAPE CHARLES LIGHT TO CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT TO 100 NM
OFFSHORE
ANZ830: CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT TO CAPE HATTERAS TO 100 NM
OFFSHORE
ANZ833: CAPE HATTERAS TO CAPE FEAR TO 100 NM OFFSHORE
ANZ835: CAPE FEAR TO 31N TO 1000 FM
---------------------
THERE WILL BE NO SHAPEFILE CHANGES TO THE OPC SYNOPSES LISTED
BELOW:
ANZ898: SYNOPSIS FOR NEW ENGLAND WATERS
ANZ899: SYNOPSIS FOR MID ATLC WATERS
-------------------
OTHER PREVIOUSLY COMMUNICATED OPC OFFSHORE ZONES ARE NO LONGER
CHANGING AT THIS TIME.
UPDATED COASTAL, OFFSHORE, AND HIGH SEAS ZONE SHAPEFILES ARE
ONLINE AT: HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GIS/MARINEZONES
FINAL VERSIONS OF THESE SHAPEFILES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON MARCH
24, 2026.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
DARIN FIGURSKEY
OPERATIONS BRANCH CHIEF
OCEAN PREDICTION CENTER
COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND
DARIN.FIGURSKEY@NOAA.GOV
MELINDA BAILEY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
MARINE SERVICES PROGRAM MANAGER
OCEAN PREDICTION CENTER
MELINDA.BAILEY@NOAA.GOV
NATIONAL SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NOTIFICATION/
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