271
NOUS41 KWBC 031310
PNSWSH

Public Information Statement 25-68
National Weather Service Headquarters Silver Spring MD
910 AM EDT Fri Oct 3 2025

To: Subscribers:
 -NOAA Weather Wire Service
 -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
 -NOAAPORT
  Other NWS Partners and Employees

From: Gregory Schoor
 Chief, Marine, Tropical, and Tsunami Services Branch

Subject: Soliciting comments through November 3, 2025 on the
proposed reduction in coverage areas for the High Seas Forecast
near the Equator and International Dateline

The National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers for
Environmental Predictions (NCEP) Ocean Prediction Center (OPC)
and Pacific Region are soliciting comments November 3, 2025 on a
proposal to:
(1) align the western boundary of NWS Pacific Ocean text high
seas forecasts (HSF) from approximately 160 degrees E to 180
degrees E. This would align the boundary with the international
date line and also the western boundary of METAREA XII.
(2) align the southern boundary of the NWS Pacific Ocean text
HSFs from 25 degrees S to the Equator (0 degrees S) west of 120
degrees W, aligning with the northern boundary of METAREA XIV.

A graphical depiction of these proposed changes is available
online at:
https://www.weather.gov/marine/HighSeasPacificProposal

The result would be the NWS discontinuing forecasts for the
overlapping sections west of the date line from 160 degrees to
180 degrees E longitude and for the overlapping sections south
of the Equator (0 degrees S) and west of 120 degrees W to 25
degrees S. Text high seas forecasts for METAREA XII in its
entirety will continue to be issued by the NWS.

WMO METAREAs, including METAREA XII, can be found at:
https://wwmiws.wmo.int/

Pacific Ocean text HSFs issued by the OPC and WFO Honolulu, HI
(HFO) currently extend beyond the international date line south
of the Aleutian Islands to 160 degrees E, and across the South
Pacific to 25 degrees S west of 120 degrees W. These areas are
well beyond the METAREA XII boundaries and overlap with
forecasts for METAREAs XI, XIII, and XIV. The proposed change is
to align the NWS HSF boundaries with METAREA XII`s western and
southern boundaries by discontinuing those portions of the NWS
HSF forecasts that overlap with METAREAs X, XI, XIII, and XIV.
Text high seas forecasts for METAREA XII in its entirety will
continue to be issued by the NWS.

High seas text forecasts for METAREA X are issued by Australia,
METAREA XI are issued by Japan and METAREA XIV by New Zealand.
These can all be found at the WMO WWMIWS website
(https://wwmiws.wmo.int/), along with text products using the
WMO identifiers FQAU20 AMMC, WWJP90 RJTD and FQPS01 NFFN.

High seas forecasts for METAREA XIII are the responsibility of
the Russian Federation. High seas forecasts for METAREA XIII
should be found online through the WMO WWMIWS website
(https://wwmiws.wmo.int/), along with text products using the
WMO identifier FQRA01 RUVV.

NAVTEX products are issued by the Russian Federation for
portions of METAREA XIII. The Japanese Meteorological Agency
(JMA) also includes significant weather in METAREA XIII in its
METAREA XI high seas forecast product.

Text HSFs for METAREA XII in its entirety will continue to be
issued by the NWS. These text HSFs can be found at a variety of
web sites, including https://ocean.weather.gov and
https://weather.gov/hfo/marine, and using WMO identifiers found
in Table 2 below.

In addition, gridded forecasts will continue to be produced
(https://www.weather.gov/hfo/enhanced_cpacfull) across the
larger chart analysis area across the Pacific between 30 degrees
S and 30 degrees N and from the North American continent to 130
degrees E covering all NWS areas of responsibility in the
tropical Pacific.

Table 1: NWS Product Proposed Being Eliminated:

Product Name       WMO Heading    AWIPS ID
-----------------------------------    -----------    --------
High Seas Forecast South Mid-Pacific   FZPS40 PHFO    HSFSP

Table 2: NWS Product Proposed Reduced Areas:

Product Name       WMO Heading    AWIPS ID
-----------------------------------    -----------    --------
High Seas Forecast Northeast Pacific   FZPN01 KWBC    HSFEP1
High Seas Forecast East Pacific        FZPN02 KWBC    HSFEPI
High Seas Forecast North Mid-Pacific   FZPN40 PHFO    HSFNP

Please submit comments regarding the proposal by November 3,
2025 to:

Melinda Bailey
National Weather Service
Marine Program Manager and
Coordinator for METAREAs IV and XII
Silver Spring, Maryland
melinda.bailey@noaa.gov

National Public Information Statements are online at:
https://www.weather.gov/notification/