In an effort to provide more specific marine weather information, the National Weather Service Forecast Offices in Alaska have realigned Alaska’s marine forecast zones, due to be implemented March 8, 2023.
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 15 NM out to 100 NM, and the creation of new zones that will pair down very large geographic areas, including to 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 number in Alaska will change.
Lastly, the outer boundaries of the coastal marine forecast zones previously denoted as ‘out to 100 NM’ will not change.
You can view the New Marine Zone maps here.
And read the National Weather Service press release here.