NOUS41 KWBC 262110 AAA PNSWSH Service Change Notice 25-91 Updated National Weather Service Headquarters Silver Spring MD 410 PM EST Thu Feb 26 2026 To: Subscribers: -NOAA Weather Wire Service -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network -NOAAPORT Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees From: Mary Mullusky, Chief Operations Services Division Subject: Updated: Changes to Public and Fire Forecast Zones for WFO Las Vegas, NV effective April 16, 2026 Updated to correct city name in the Subject. Additionally, updated to change the implementation date from March 3, 2026 to April 16, 2026 and final versions of the shapefiles will be available on March 24, 2026. Effective Thu, April 16, 2026, at 1:00 PM/2:00 PM Pacific Standard Time/Mountain Standard Time (PST/MST), 2100 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Las Vegas, NV (VEF) will change Public Forecast Zones encompassing Clark County in southern Nevada, Inyo County in southeast California, and Mohave County in northwest Arizona. After this change, all forecasts and related products will use the zone numbers and names shown in Table 2 below. If April 16, 2026 is declared a Critical Weather Day, this implementation will be postponed to April 20, 2026 at 2100 UTC. These changes will result in more geographically precise forecast, watch and warning products for the general public and will enhance web-based graphical product consistency and appearance. Four current zones will be converted into eight separate zones. These new zones are being divided to optimize issuance of hazard products for conditions that vary significantly in the Colorado River Valley along the Nevada/Arizona border, Hualapai Mountains in central Mohave County, and the Owens Valley in Inyo County, California. The new zones are listed in Table 2. Table 1. Universal Geographic Codes (UGC): Current Public Forecast Zone Names ---------------------------------- AZZ003: Northwest Deserts AZZ036: Lake Mead National Recreation Area CAZ520: Owens Valley NVZ021: Lake Mead National Recreation Area Table 2. UGC: New Public Forecast Zone Names ------------------------------- AZZ570: Lake Mead - AZ Side AZZ571: Lake Mohave - AZ Side AZZ575: Hualapai Mountains AZZ576: Northwest Deserts CAZ582: Owens Valley North CAZ581: Owens Valley South NVZ025: Lake Mead - NV Side NVZ026: Lake Mohave - NV Side Table 3. NWS products affected by the WFO Las Vegas, NV Public forecast zone changes are listed below. Product Name WMO Heading AWIPS ID ------------- ----------- -------- Avalanche Watch WOUS45 KVEF AVAVEF Avalanche Warning WOUS45 KVEF AVWVEF Special Avalanche Bulletin WWUS85 KVEF SABVEF Winter Weather Message WWUS45 KVEF WSWVEF Non-Precipitation Watch/Warning/ WWUS75 KVEF NPWVEF Advisory Flood Watch WGUS65 KVEF FFAVEF Hydrologic Outlook FGUS75 KVEF ESFVEF Zone Forecast FPUS55 KVEF ZFPVEF Point Forecast Matrices FOUS55 KVEF PFMVEF Tabular State Forecast FPUS65 KVEF SFTVEF Area Forecast Discussion FXUS65 KVEF AFDVEF Special Weather Statement WWUS85 KVEF SPSVEF Public Information Statement NOUS45 KVEF PNSVEF NWS partners and users will need to make necessary changes to their communications systems to accommodate these weather forecast zone changes. Preliminary shapefiles for public forecast zones are available online at: https://www.weather.gov/gis/PublicZones Final versions of these shapefiles will be available on March 24, 2026. A graphical depiction of this change is online at: https://www.weather.gov/vef/2026zonechanges For more information, please contact: Dan Berc Warning Coordination Meteorologist NWS Las Vegas, NV daniel.berc@noaa.gov National Service Change Notices are online at: https://www.weather.gov/notification/