The National Weather Service Forecast Offices in Alaska have realigned Alaska’s marine forecast zones, due to be implemented on March 8, 2023, in an effort to provide more specific marine weather information to their partners and the public.
The planned changes will result in more geographically-representative forecasts, advisory, watch, and warning products. This will be achieved with the creation of a ‘nearshore’ forecast zone that will cover areas from the coastline out to 15 Nautical Miles (NM), a ‘coastal’ forecast zone which will then exist from 15 NM up out to 100 NM, and the creation of new zones that will pair down very large geographic areas, including areas in the eastern Gulf of Alaska, Prince William Sound, along the Aleutians, and within the Bering Sea. Due to the scope of these changes, most marine forecast zone names and numbers in Alaska will change.
Lastly, the outer boundaries of the coastal marine forecast zones previously denoted as “out to 100 NM” will not change. However, with the use of improved technology they are able to more accurately reflect the distance of these boundaries from the Alaska coastline. Each of these zone names will now include a more precise description of how far out they physically extend.
The National Weather Service will be coordinating with partners, media outlets, and interest groups from across the state to facilitate greater awareness of these planned changes. These changes are part of a long-term National Weather Service improvement plan to provide the public with forecasts and alerts more relevant to their area of concern.
For more information about the planned marine zone changes and access to all material created to help educate the public and maritime community, please refer to the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/alaska/marine.