Marine Forecast Zones in Alaska have traditionally encompassed large areas of up to 100 nautical miles offshore, making it difficult for mariners to determine sea conditions for nearshore areas. This has proven problematic for boaters making that Go-No-Go decision when heading to their next destination.
Effective March 8, 2023, the National Weather Service will implement ‘nearshore forecast zones’ for Alaska out to 15 nautical miles and separate ‘coastal forecast zones’ for 15nm out to 100nm. These new zones will provide better representative forecasts and advisories for smaller geographic areas. The intent is to pare down the current very large geographic areas, this will require renaming and renumbering most of the marine forecast zones for Alaska. The National Weather Service Forecast Offices in Alaska want to make forecasts and alerts more relevant to the boater’s area of concern through this Improvement Plan. Boaters visiting Southeast Alaska and Northern Alaska will have a better picture of weather conditions for the waters in which they are cruising.
For more information about the planned marine zone changes, go to the National Weather Service website at www.weather.gov/alaska/marine. Questions or concerns should be directed to Lindsay Tardif-Huber at 907-271-5132 or by email to Lindsay.tardif-huber@noaa.gov.
Images: National Weather Service
