Forecast region
Encyclopedia
A forecast region is a unique geographical area for which individual weather
reports are issued.
, the Meteorological Service
divides the country into several forecast regions for the purpose of issuing routine text forecasts and weather warnings, as Canada's provinces and territories do not use a common second-level administrative division
scheme similar to the division of states into counties
and parish
es in the United States
. Due to the localized nature of some weather phenomena, such as freezing rain
storms and tornado
es, some forecast regions that have been found to be more prone to such phenomena are further divided into sub-regions, especially in the Prairie provinces.
With the implementation of Specific Area Message Encoding
into the Weatheradio Canada
service in 2007, each forecast region and sub-region has been given a unique six-digit code known as a Canadian Location Code, or CLC. These codes are programmed into SAME-capable weather radio receivers the same way FIPS county code
s are programmed into receivers in the United States, enabling them to only activate and sound an alert when the MSC issues weather warnings for the forecast regions that have their codes programmed into the receivers. Outside of Nunavut
and the Northwest Territories
, CLCs are assigned using the format 0paabb, where 0 is a constant, p is a province or provincial or territorial grouping, aa refers to a specific forecast region, and bb, if nonzero, refers to a sub-region. In Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, the format is 09aaa0, where aaa refers to the forecast region. The format is different in those territories because their population densities are much lower than elsewhere in the country.
uses zone forecasts, where generally each county is a zone. For counties near the ocean, there are normally two zones: coastal and inland. The same is true for counties that are part mountain
ous and part lowland
, or for counties that are quite long. This older system is not used for warnings, which are based on FIPS codes (two digits for the state, three for the county or independent city
), with the initial digit being for optional sub-county divisions. Both of these are becoming less important with the advent of point forecasts, and polygon
al warning boxes based on lines drawn between geographic coordinate points. The coordinates of such points are listed at the end of each warning.
The term county warning area is also used to indicate the area of responsibility for each NWS forecast office. The forecast area is usually synonymous with the broadcast range of all NOAA Weather Radio station
s programmed from any particular office, though the broadcast callsign followed by "listening area" is often used.
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
reports are issued.
Canada
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Meteorological Service
Meteorological Service of Canada
The Meteorological Service of Canada , also known as "The Canadian Weather Service", is a division of Environment Canada, which primarily provides public meteorological information and weather forecasts and warnings of severe weather and other environmental hazards...
divides the country into several forecast regions for the purpose of issuing routine text forecasts and weather warnings, as Canada's provinces and territories do not use a common second-level administrative division
Administrative division
An administrative division, subnational entity, or country subdivision is a portion of a country or other political division, established for the purpose of government. Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their own...
scheme similar to the division of states into counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
and parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Due to the localized nature of some weather phenomena, such as freezing rain
Freezing rain
Freezing rain is the name given to rain that falls when surface temperatures are below freezing. The raindrops become supercooled while passing through a sub-freezing layer of air, many hundred feet , just above the surface, and then freeze upon impact with any object they encounter. The resulting...
storms and tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es, some forecast regions that have been found to be more prone to such phenomena are further divided into sub-regions, especially in the Prairie provinces.
With the implementation of Specific Area Message Encoding
Specific Area Message Encoding
Specific Area Message Encoding or SAME is the protocol used to encode the Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio's SAME Public Warning System in the U.S...
into the Weatheradio Canada
Weatheradio Canada
Weatheradio Canada, in French Radiométéo Canada, is a Canadian radio network that broadcasts weather information. Owned and operated by Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada division, the network transmits in both official languages from 199 sites across Canada.In most locations,...
service in 2007, each forecast region and sub-region has been given a unique six-digit code known as a Canadian Location Code, or CLC. These codes are programmed into SAME-capable weather radio receivers the same way FIPS county code
FIPS county code
The FIPS county code is a five-digit Federal Information Processing Standard code which uniquely identifies counties and county equivalents in the United States, certain U.S. possessions, and certain freely associated states. The first two digits are the FIPS state code and the last three are...
s are programmed into receivers in the United States, enabling them to only activate and sound an alert when the MSC issues weather warnings for the forecast regions that have their codes programmed into the receivers. Outside of Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
and the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, CLCs are assigned using the format 0paabb, where 0 is a constant, p is a province or provincial or territorial grouping, aa refers to a specific forecast region, and bb, if nonzero, refers to a sub-region. In Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, the format is 09aaa0, where aaa refers to the forecast region. The format is different in those territories because their population densities are much lower than elsewhere in the country.
List of forecast regions by province and territory
If viewing this page online, each forecast region name is linked to a page on the MSC's website detailing all watches and warnings currently in effect for that region.United States
In the U.S., the National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
uses zone forecasts, where generally each county is a zone. For counties near the ocean, there are normally two zones: coastal and inland. The same is true for counties that are part mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
ous and part lowland
Lowland
In physical geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level. The term is thus applied to the landward portion of the upward slope from oceanic depths to continental highlands, to a region of depression in the interior of a mountainous region, to a plain of denudation, or...
, or for counties that are quite long. This older system is not used for warnings, which are based on FIPS codes (two digits for the state, three for the county or independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
), with the initial digit being for optional sub-county divisions. Both of these are becoming less important with the advent of point forecasts, and polygon
Polygon
In geometry a polygon is a flat shape consisting of straight lines that are joined to form a closed chain orcircuit.A polygon is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path, composed of a finite sequence of straight line segments...
al warning boxes based on lines drawn between geographic coordinate points. The coordinates of such points are listed at the end of each warning.
The term county warning area is also used to indicate the area of responsibility for each NWS forecast office. The forecast area is usually synonymous with the broadcast range of all NOAA Weather Radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s programmed from any particular office, though the broadcast callsign followed by "listening area" is often used.