## Fire Weather Services

#### **for**

## North Carolina

## Operating Plan

### NWS Blacksburg, VA

### NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

### NWS Morehead City, NC

### NWS Morristown, TN

### NWS Raleigh, NC

### NWS Wakefield, VA

### NWS Wilmington, NC

### 2008

This operating plan will be a semi-permanent document, specifying Fire
Weather services provided by National Weather Service in North Carolina.
The plan incorporates procedures detailed in the Interagency Agreement
for Meteorological Services.

**Table of Contents**

Introduction\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
4 -

Purpose of
AOP\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
4 -

Explanation of relationship between AOP and
MOU\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
4 -

Service Area and Organizational
Directory\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
5 -

Service
Area\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
5 -

National Weather Service
Headquarters\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
7 -

National Weather Service Regional
Headquarters\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
7 -

Weather Forecast Offices
(WFO)\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
7 -

Meteorologists-in-Charge
(MIC)\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
8 -

Program Leaders (or Focal
Points)\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
9 -

Participating
Agencies\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
9 -

Services Provided by the National Weather
Service\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
11 -

Basic
Services\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
11 -

Fire Weather Planning Forecast
(FWF)\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
11 -

Update Criteria for the Fire Weather Planning
Forecast\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
15 -

Site Specific Wildland Fire Forecasts (Spot
Forecasts)\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
15 -

National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS)
Forecasts\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
17 -

Issuance\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
17 -

Contents\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
17 -

Fire Weather Watch and Red Flag
Programs\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
20 -

Definition of a Red Flag
Event\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
20 -

Red Flag
Warning\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
20 -

Fire Weather
Watch\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
20 -

Fire Danger Statements and Blow-Up
Alerts\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
21 -

Communications\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
21 -

Participation in Interagency
Groups\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
21 -

Special
Services\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
22 -

Incident
Support\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
22 -

Other Special
Services\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
24 -

Fire Weather
Training\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
25 -

Natural Resource Agency
Responsibilities\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
25 -

Operational Support and Predictive
Services\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
25 -

Program
Management\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
25 -

Monitoring, Feedback and
Improvement\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
25 -

Technology
Transfer\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
25 -

Agency Computer
Resources\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
25 -

Fire Weather
Observations\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
26 -

On - Site
Support\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
27 -

Training\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
27 -

Joint
Responsibilities\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
27 -

Meetings between the NWS offices and the natural resource
agencies\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...- 28 -

Conference
Calls\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
28 -

Maintenance and Revision of the Annual Operating
Plan\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
28 -

Notification of NWS Changes in Operating
Procedures\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
28 -

Agreements on Services
Provided\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
28 -

Workplace
Visits\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
28 -

Service
Evaluation\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
29 -

Numbering and archiving of observation
stations\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
29 -

Effective Dates on the
AOP\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
29 -

Signatory
Page\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
30 -

Appendices\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
32 -

Interagency Agreement for the Meteorological
Services\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
32 -

Fire Weather Zone
Maps\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
32 -

Catalog of Fire Weather Observation
Sites\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
33 -

ASOS Observation
Sites\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
36 -

AWOS Observation
Sites\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
37 -

Military Observation
Sites\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
39 -

NOAA Weather Radio Transmitters Serving North Carolina
Counties\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....- 39 -

Red Flag
Criteria\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
42 -

Fire Weather Product
Examples\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
42 -

Burn Category
Table\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
43 -

Ventilation Rate (ft mph) and Associated Burn
Category\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
43 -

Dispersion
Table\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
43 -

Surface Wind (MPH) and Associated Dispersion
Category\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
43 -

Lightning Activity
Level\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
44-

MRX Lavdas Dispersion
Index.....................................................................-44-

LAL
Categories\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
44 -

Lightning
Strokes\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...-
45 -

Wind Profile
Analysis\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....-
45 -

Adverse Wind
Profiles\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
45 -

FWF Update
Criteria\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
46 -

Record of Changes to the
AOP\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....-
46-

## Introduction

### Purpose of AOP. 

This Operating Plan serves as the official document governing the
interaction and relationships between the National Weather Service, and
the federal, state and local natural resource and land management
agencies or cooperators in North Carolina.

### Explanation of relationship between AOP and MOU.

This State Operating Plan is issued in lieu of a formal Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between the National Weather Service, federal,
state, and other agencies that rely on fire weather support. The plan
will outline forecast operations and services available to users. This
includes products and formats, dissemination and coordination, and the
responsibilities of the partners.

This Operating Plan will be the governing document for fire weather
procedures and cooperation among the following agencies:

-   NOAA National Weather Service

-   US Forest Service

-   USDI National Park Service

-   NC Division of Forest Resources

-   US Fish and Wildlife Service

-   US Army - Fort Bragg

-   US Marine Corps - Camp Lejeune

-   US Air Force - Dare County Bomb Range

-   The Nature Conservancy

-   USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs

-   NC Division of Parks & Recreation

-   US Army - Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal

-   US Marine Corps - Cherry Point

-   NC Wildlife Resources Commission

The Southern Area Mobilization Guide and the National Mobilization Guide
further define the relationship between the natural resource agencies
and the NWS Incident Meteorologist.

This Operating Plan for Fire Weather Services conforms with the
[**Interagency Agreement for Meteorological
Services**](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5C2002agree.htm)
, concluded in October, 2002.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ## Service Area  and  Organizational Directory                        |
|                                                                       |
| ### Service Area                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| The service area covered by this AOP is the state of North Carolina,  |
| served by the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices at    |
| Blacksburg, VA (RNK), Greenville - Spartanburg, SC (GSP), Morehead    |
| City, NC (MHX), Morristown, TN (MRX), Raleigh, NC (RAH), Wakefield,   |
| VA (AKQ), and Wilmington, NC (ILM).                                   |
|                                                                       |
| Forecast areas are tied to the \"radar umbrella\" of the WSR-88D      |
| Doppler Radar. The umbrella is the area which is covered by the radar |
| volume scan. This means that forecasts are not bound by state         |
| political borders, although county borders are generally observed.    |
| The North Carolina portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
| is covered by the NWS office in Morristown, TN. For a map of the fire |
| weather zones in NC, see the appendix.                                |
|                                                                       |
| The **AKQ forecast area** covers portions of northeast North          |
| Carolina.                                                             |
|                                                                       |
| The northeast North Carolina counties covered by WFO AKQ (Wakefield,  |
| VA) include:                                                          |
|                                                                       |
|   ---------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- |
|   Bertie                 Camden                Chowan                 |
|                                                                       |
|   Currituck              Gates                 Hertford               |
|                                                                       |
|   Northampton            Pasquotank            Perquimans             |
|   ---------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- |
|                                                                       |
| The **GSP forecast area** covers much of western North Carolina.      |
|                                                                       |
| The western North Carolina counties covered by WFO GSP (Greenville -  |
| Spartanburg, SC) include:                                             |
|                                                                       |
|   ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- |
|   Alexander        Avery            Buncombe         Burke            |
|                                                                       |
|   Cabarrus         Caldwell         Catawba          Cleveland        |
|                                                                       |
|   Davie            Gaston           Graham           Haywood          |
|                                                                       |
|   Henderson        Iredell          Jackson          Lincoln          |
|                                                                       |
|   Macon            Madison          McDowell         Mecklenburg      |
|                                                                       |
|   Mitchell         Polk             Rowan            Rutherford       |
|                                                                       |
|   Swain            Transylvania     Union            Yancey           |
|   ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- |
|                                                                       |
| The **ILM forecast area** covers southeast North Carolina.            |
|                                                                       |
| The southeast North Carolina counties covered by WFO ILM (Wilmington, |
| NC) include:                                                          |
|                                                                       |
|   ---------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- |
|   Bladen                 Brunswick             Columbus               |
|                                                                       |
|   New Hanover            Pender                Robeson                |
|   ---------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- |
|                                                                       |
| The **MHX forecast area** covers eastern North Carolina.              |
|                                                                       |
| The eastern North Carolina counties covered by WFO MHX (Morehead      |
| City, NC) include:                                                    |
|                                                                       |
|   ---------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- |
|   Beaufort               Carteret              Craven                 |
|                                                                       |
|   Dare                   Duplin                Greene                 |
|                                                                       |
|   Hyde                   Jones                 Lenoir                 |
|                                                                       |
|   Martin                 Onslow                Pamlico                |
|                                                                       |
|   Pitt                   Tyrell                Washington             |
|   ---------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- |
|                                                                       |
| The **MRX forecast area** covers southwest North Carolina, and the    |
| Great Smoky Mountain National Park portion of Haywood and Swain       |
| Counties.                                                             |
|                                                                       |
| The southwest North Carolina counties covered by WFO MRX (Morristown, |
| TN) include:                                                          |
|                                                                       |
|   ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- |
|   Cherokee         Clay             Northwest        Northern Swain   |
|                                     Haywood                           |
|                                                                       |
|   ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- |
|                                                                       |
| The **RAH forecast area** covers central North Carolina.              |
|                                                                       |
| The central North Carolina counties covered by WFO RAH (Raleigh, NC)  |
| include:                                                              |
|                                                                       |
|   ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- |
|   Alamance         Anson            Chatham          Cumberland       |
|                                                                       |
|   Davidson         Durham           Edgecombe        Forsyth          |
|                                                                       |
|   Franklin         Granville        Guilford         Halifax          |
|                                                                       |
|   Harnett          Hoke             Johnston         Lee              |
|                                                                       |
|   Montgomery       Moore            Nash             Orange           |
|                                                                       |
|   Person           Randolph         Richmond         Sampson          |
|                                                                       |
|   Scotland         Stanly           Vance            Wake             |
|                                                                       |
|   Warren           Wayne            Wilson                            |
|   ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- |
|                                                                       |
| The **RNK forecast area** covers northwest North Carolina.            |
|                                                                       |
| The northwest North Carolina counties covered by WFO RNK (Blacksburg, |
| VA) include:                                                          |
|                                                                       |
|   ---------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- |
|   Alleghany              Ashe                  Caswell                |
|                                                                       |
|   Rockingham             Stokes                Surry                  |
|                                                                       |
|   Watauga                Wilkes                Yadkin                 |
|   ---------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- |
|                                                                       |
| ### National Weather Service Headquarters                             |
|                                                                       |
| NWS Headquarters, located in Silver Spring, Maryland, establishes     |
| policies and coordinates the national fire weather program. The       |
| national program manager coordinates the program with the regional    |
| program managers. The national program manager also works with the    |
| national headquarters of the Federal forestry and other natural       |
| resource management agencies and the Association of State Foresters   |
| in determining overall requirements for meteorological support. The   |
| national program manager coordinates national training in forestry    |
| and fire weather for NWS forecasters.                                 |
|                                                                       |
| ### National Weather Service Regional Headquarters                    |
|                                                                       |
| Regional Headquarters manage the technical operational aspects of the |
| fire weather program within each region. They also provide guidance   |
| and assistance to meteorologists-in-charge (MIC) on program           |
| operations and developing issues through Supplements to the National  |
| Directives System (NDS) and conferences. Regional Headquarters advise |
| National Headquarters on matters pertaining to technical planning and |
| operations. The regional program managers coordinate the regions\'    |
| fire weather programs and advise the Regional Directors on the        |
| operational and administrative aspects of the regions\' programs.     |
|                                                                       |
| ### Weather Forecast Offices (WFO)                                    |
|                                                                       |
| Weather Forecast Offices prepare and disseminate forecast products    |
| for all sectors of the population, including those for the Fire       |
| Weather program. These offices are responsible for providing          |
| forecasts for user agencies within their County Warning and Forecast  |
| Area (CWFA). Most offices have a designated fire weather focal point  |
| or fire weather program leader.                                       |
|                                                                       |
| The National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices will provide    |
| 24-hour, 365 days a year service. The NWS WFO\'s can be reached at:   |
|                                                                       |
| **[Blacksburg Weather Forecast                                        |
| Office](http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/rnk/fire.html)\                    |
| VA Tech Corporate Research Center\                                    |
| 1750 Forecast Drive\                                                  |
| Blacksburg, Virginia 24060**                                          |
|                                                                       |
| **[National Weather                                                   |
| Service](http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/gsp/fire/fire_wx.htm)\            |
| 1549 GSP Drive\                                                       |
| Greer, South Carolina 29651**                                         |
|                                                                       |
| **[National Weather                                                   |
| Service](http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/mhx/fire.html)\                   |
| 533 Roberts Road\                                                     |
| Newport, North Carolina 28570**                                       |
|                                                                       |
| **[National Weather Service](http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mrx/firewx.php)\ |
| 5974 Commerce Blvd.\                                                  |
| Morristown, Tennessee 37814**                                         |
|                                                                       |
| **[National Weather Service](http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/rah/fire/)\   |
| Centennial Campus\                                                    |
| 1005 Capability Drive\                                                |
| Research Building III, Suite 300\                                     |
| Raleigh, North Carolina 27606**                                       |
|                                                                       |
| **[National Weather                                                   |
| Service](http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/akq/firemain.htm)\                |
| 10009 General Mahone Highway\                                         |
| Wakefield, Virginia 23888**                                           |
|                                                                       |
| **[National Weather Service](http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/ilm/fire/)\   |
| 2015 Gardner Drive\                                                   |
| Wilmington, North Carolina 28405**                                    |
|                                                                       |
| NOTE: Unlisted telephone numbers used for coordination cannot be      |
| listed here. All user agencies have been or will be provided voice    |
| and fax numbers to be used for official purposes only.                |
|                                                                       |
| ### Meteorologists-in-Charge (MIC)                                    |
|                                                                       |
| The Meteorologists-in-Charge are responsible for the provision of     |
| adequate weather services for the offices\' assigned areas of program |
| responsibility. The MIC\'s will ensure that the focal points or       |
| program leaders are provided adequate time for user liaison and       |
| assistance activities.                                                |
|                                                                       |
| **Michael Caropolo, Wilmington, NC**                                  |
|                                                                       |
| **Darin Figurskey, Raleigh, NC**                                      |
|                                                                       |
| **Larry Gabric, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC**                          |
|                                                                       |
| **Thomas Kriehn, Morehead City, NC**                                  |
|                                                                       |
| **George Mathews, Morristown, TN**                                    |
|                                                                       |
| **Tony Siebers, Wakefield, VA**                                       |
|                                                                       |
| **Dave Wert, Blacksburg, VA**                                         |
|                                                                       |
| ### Program Leaders (or Focal Points)                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Fire weather focal points and program leaders are the \"customer      |
| service representatives\" for the program. The focal points or        |
| program leaders, as representatives of the MIC\'s, are in regular     |
| contact with the partner agencies, helping them assess their          |
| meteorological needs, informing them of NWS products and services     |
| available to meet these needs, and educating them in the most         |
| effective use of the various NWS products and resources, including    |
| NOAA Weather Radio (NWR). Focal points and program leaders will work  |
| with users to utilize existing NWS products and services produced for |
| other programs that could meet the requirements of natural resource   |
| management. The focal points and program leaders are also tasked with |
| ensuring staff meteorologists are trained and remain proficient in    |
| preparing forecast products for support of the fire weather program.  |
| Fire Program Leaders can be reached via e-mail on their NWS office    |
| fire weather homepage.                                                |
|                                                                       |
| [**Phil Badgett (phillip.badgett@noaa.gov), Raleigh,                  |
| NC**](mailto:phillip.badgett@noaa.gov)                                |
|                                                                       |
| [**David Gaffin (david.gaffin@noaa.gov), Morristown,                  |
| TN**](mailto:david.gaffin@noaa.gov)                                   |
|                                                                       |
| [**Larry Brown (larry.brown@noaa.gov), Wakefield,                     |
| VA**](mailto:larry.brown@noaa.gov)                                    |
|                                                                       |
| [**Phil Manuel (phillip.manuel@noaa.gov), Blacksburg,                 |
| VA**](mailto:phillip.manuel@noaa.gov)                                 |
|                                                                       |
| [**Jim Merrell (james.merrell@noaa.gov), Morehead City,               |
| NC**](mailto:james.merrell@noaa.gov)                                  |
|                                                                       |
| [**Ron Steve (ronald.steve@noaa.gov), Wilmington,                     |
| NC**](mailto:ronald.steve@noaa.gov)                                   |
|                                                                       |
| [**John Tomko (john.tomko@noaa.gov), Greenville-Spartanburg,          |
| SC**](mailto:john.tomko@noaa.gov)                                     |
|                                                                       |
| ### Participating Agencies                                            |
|                                                                       |
| The following agencies are participants of this operating plan:       |
|                                                                       |
| **USDI National Park Service.**                                       |
|                                                                       |
| **NOAA National Weather Service**                                     |
|                                                                       |
| **Nature Conservancy**                                                |
|                                                                       |
| **NC Division of Forest Resources**                                   |
|                                                                       |
| **US Army - Fort Bragg**                                              |
|                                                                       |
| **US Army - Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal**                     |
|                                                                       |
| **US Marine Corps - Camp Lejeune**                                    |
|                                                                       |
| **US Air Force - Dare County Bomb Range**                             |
|                                                                       |
| **US Fish and Wildlife Service**                                      |
|                                                                       |
| **US Forest Service**                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| **USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs**                                     |
|                                                                       |
| **NC Wildlife Resources Commission**                                  |
|                                                                       |
| **NC Division of Parks & Recreation**                                 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

**Services Provided by the National Weather Service**

### Basic Services

#### Fire Weather Planning Forecast (FWF)

The Fire Weather Planning Forecast (FWF) is a zone-type product used by
natural resource management personnel primarily for input in
decision-making related to pre-suppression and other planning or
resource management activities, as well as for determining general
weather trends that might impact burning condition and thereby fire
behavior of wildfires and prescribed fires. The decisions impact
firefighter safety, protection of the public, property, and the natural
resource, and resource allocation.

##### Product Overview and Issuance Criteria

The FWF provides a detailed prediction of elements for three specific
12-hour periods (four 12-hour periods with the afternoon forecast), a
general 3 to 7 day forecast, and an 8 to 14 day extended outlook. The
FWF is issued twice daily, once during the morning (between 3:00 and
6:30 AM), and the other during the afternoon (between 2:00 and 4:00 PM).
The morning forecast, to be disseminated no later than 8:30 AM, consists
of three periods: \"Today\" (valid from issuance through 6 PM local
time), \"Tonight\" (6 PM to 6 AM), and \"Tomorrow\" (6 AM to 6 PM). The
afternoon version , to be disseminated no later than 4:00 PM, consists
of four periods: \"Tonight\" (6 PM to 6 AM), \"Tomorrow\" 6 AM to 6 PM),
\"Tomorrow Night\" (6 PM to 6 AM), and the \"Following Day\" (6 AM to 6
PM).

Note: WFO MRX only produces an afternoon FWF between February 15 and May
15, but will issue an afternoon FWF on request during prolonged drought
conditions.

##### Format/Content of the FWF

[ Format]{.underline} - The format of the Fire Weather Forecast is
specified in National Weather Service Directive 10-401.

[ Headlines]{.underline} - A headline is **required** when Red Flag
Warnings and/or Fire Weather Watches are in effect. The headline will
include the warning type, location, reason for issuance (e.g., high
winds and low humidity), and effective time period(s). The headline is
also included in the body of the FWF, in each appropriate zone grouping.
Other headlines are requested since the natural resource agencies are
also considered \"all risk agencies\". When significant weather trends
of locally-defined critical weather elements are forecast or observed
during non-watch/warning periods, they will be identified in the
headline.

[ Discussion]{.underline} - The discussion should be a brief, clear,
non-technical description of the weather patterns that influence the
weather in the forecast area.

[ Cloud Cover (\"CLOUD COVER\")]{.underline} - This is and indication
of the expected sky condition. \"Clear\" or \"Sunny\" descriptors are
designated when the forecast cloud cover is \< 10%; \"Mostly Clear\" or
\"Mostly Sunny\" are used when cloud cover is forecast to be \>= 10% and
\< 30%; \"Partly Cloudy\" or \"Partly Sunny\" are used when cloud cover
is forecast to be \>= 30% and \< 60%; \"Mostly Cloudy\" is used when
cloud cover is \>= 60% and \< 80%; \"Cloudy\" is used when cloud cover
is forecast to be \>= 80%.

 [Precipitation Type (\"PRECIP TYPE\")]{.underline} - This refers to
the predominant precipitation type during the forecast period, with an
exception. When both \"showers\" and \"thunderstorms\" are included in
the public forecast, \"thunderstorms\" will be designated as the
precipitation type in the FWF.

[ Chance of Precipitation (\"CHANCE PRECIP\")]{.underline} - Refers to
the probability of measurable precipitation (0.01 inches or more) during
the forecast period. This will be rounded to the nearest 10%. Note:
Drizzle and snow flurries are not considered measurable precipitation
and thus will not be given a probability.

[ Temperature (\"TEMP\")]{.underline} - Refers to the forecasted
maximum and minimum temperature for the zone, in degrees F, as measured
at a standard 4.5 ft above the ground level. Also included is a 24 hour
trend value, noting the difference from the previous day\'s
maximum/minimum temperature.

[ Relative Humidity (\"MAX/MIN RH\")]{.underline} - Forecasted minimum
relative humidity is provided during the daytime periods, while maximum
RH is included at night. Also, as with temperature, a 24-hour trend is
provided, except at WFO RNK.

Note: The lowest average humidity typically occurs during the warmest
part of the day. However, if it is expected to occur at a different time
of the day, this will be noted in the \"Remarks\" portion of the
forecast.

[ Surface Winds (\"WND20FT2MIN/EARLY and
WND20FT2MIN/LATE\")]{.underline} - Surface wind speed and direction
represent a two-minute average at 20 feet above the ground or 20 ft
above the vegetative cover. Wind direction is the direction the wind
blows from, to eight points of the compass. The \"EARLY\" designation
refers to morning hours (before noon) during daytime periods, and also
the evening hours (before midnight) during nighttime periods. \"LATE\"
refers to the afternoon hours during the daytime periods, and also the
pre-dawn hours (after midnight) during the nighttime periods. Wind
gusts, which are rapid fluctuations in wind speed of usually less than
30 seconds in duration, are indicated in the forecast if gustiness is
expected. Forecasts for highest probable gust will be preceded by \"G\".

[ Precipitation Amount (\"PRECIP AMOUNT\")]{.underline} - Refers to the
forecasted precipitation amount (in hundredths of an inch) whenever the
chance of precipitation is 20% or greater.

[ Precipitation Duration (\"PRECIP DURATION\")]{.underline} - Refers to
the duration of the measurable precipitation (in hours) when the
probability of measurable precipitation is greater than or equal to 20%.
A precipitation duration forecast of \"1\" is used for \"1 hour or
less\" duration.

[ Precipitation Begin/End (\"PRECIP BEGIN/END\")]{.underline} - Refers
to the time measurable precipitation begins or ends. Only used by WFO
MRX and WFO RNK.

[ Mixing Height (\"MIXING HGT\")]{.underline} - Mixing height is
defined as the atmospheric limit above which vigorous vertical mixing
does not take place. Mixing height forecasts are given in feet above the
ground (\"FT-AGL\"), except at WFO MRX, where mixing heights are given
in feet above mean sea level (\"FT-MSL\"), but will be given in AGL in a
spot forecast upon customer request.

[ Transport Wind (\"TRANSPORT WND\")]{.underline} - Defined as the
average wind direction and speed from the surface to the top of the
mixed layer. Direction of the transport wind (where the wind is blowing
from) and speed will be given. The speed will be in MPH.

[ Ventilation Rate (\"VENT RATE\")]{.underline}

\- Refers to a multiplication of the mixing height and transport wind.,
With units in ft MPH. Ventilation rates, forecasted during the daytime,
are used to calculate the Burn Category for each day. The ventilation
rate gives the potential for the atmosphere to to disperse smoke. Refer
to Appendix 1 for further details regarding the correlation of the
Ventilation Rate and Burn Category.

Note: Not included by WFO MRX.

[ Dispersion (\"DISPERSION\")]{.underline}

\- Refers to the forecasted smoke dispersion category at night, based on
the surface wind speed. The dispersion category gives a general
indication of the state of the atmosphere with respect to its ability to
disperse smoke. The dispersion forecast (nighttime) is analogous to the
daytime Ventilation Rate, though only a forecast during the evening
hours is provided as a large majority of controlled/prescribed fire
operations are completed before midnight. A spot forecast is recommended
for critical operations that might involve smoke drift towards a
populated area. Refer to Appendix 2 for further details on Dispersion
categories.

Note: WFO\'s GSP and ILM do not produce dispersion forecasts due to
differences in categories between NC and SC.

WFO MRX produces a Lavdas dispersion index forecast computed from the
20-foot wind speed, mixing height, transport wind, and cloud cover.
Refer to the Appendix for further details of the MRX Lavdas dispersion
index.

[ Lightning Activity Level (\"LAL\")]{.underline}

\- A numerical value, which is used to describe the expected lightning
activity for that day. Refer to Appendix 3 for further details on the
LAL.

Note: WFO MRX does not produce a lightning activity level forecast.

[ Haines Index (\"HAINES INDEX\")]{.underline}

\- The index infers the stability of the atmosphere. In the North
Carolina Coastal Plain and Piedmont, \"low elevation\" is assumed for
the calculation of the Haines Index. It utilizes the atmospheric
temperature at 950 mb and 850 Mb as well as taking into account the the
moisture levels (dew point depression) at 850 Mb. In the North Carolina
mountains, the \"mid level\" Haines Index is calculated using the
temperatures at 850 Mb and 700 Mb, and the dew point depression at 850
Mb.

Haines Index values range from 2 through 6.

On western fires Haines Index values of 5 or 6 serve as an alert that
fires or prescribed burns can experience control challenges. Local
regional studies in North Carolina have shown that a Haines Index of 4
represents the initiating threshold whereby the atmosphere can support
large fire growth. In the absence of strong winds, fire growth will be
primarily \"plume dominated\", with crowning and spotting on all sides.
As wind speeds increase, coupled with a starting Haines Index of 4 or
greater, there is an increased threat for large wind-driven fires.

[ 3 through 7 Day Forecast]{.underline} - The outlook period is an
extended forecast for the zone, or the entire forecast area, provided in
narrative form (non-digital, non-tabular), and appended either at the
bottom of each zone grouping (for just that zone), or at the end of all
the zone groupings (for the entire area).

[ Inversion Information]{.underline}

\- Refers to the time and/or temperature at which the morning inversion
will burnoff, or the time the inversion will setup in the evening. If
the inversion is not surface based (yet still at low levels, e.g. below
1000 feet), meteorological factors other than nighttime radiational
cooling may be taking place and as such, inversion information may not
be given (\"Inversion\" remains in the forecast through the day, which
would be reflected by a low mixing height). Conversely, there will be
situations when a low level inversion does not develop at night; during
these situations when a \"NO INV\" or \"NONE\" will be noted. Note:
WFO\'s GSP and ILM will include burnoff time and temperature in the
morning, as well as setup time in the evening. WFO MHX includes burnoff
temperature only. Other inversion notation includes CONT (for continued
inversion), and MIXED/HHMM (when and inversion mixes out at local time
HH:MM.

Note: WFO MRX does not produce an inversion forecast.

 [Wind Profile Analysis]{.underline}

\- It is recognized that the profile of wind speed with altitude on
active fire days is an important factor in fire behavior. Certain
profiles of wind speed marked by decreasing speed above a maximum or a
jet within 1500 ft of the surface can cause fires to behave erratically
when combined with a rapid decrease in air temperature with altitude on
the order of 5.5 degrees F per 1000 ft. Appendix 4 describes these types
of profiles (Adverse Wind Profiles) that contribute toward adverse fire
behavior.

The WPA is included in the remarks section of zone groupings that
include North Carolina non-mountain counties from March through May. At
the request of one or more partner agencies, the WPA can be included at
other times of the year during periods of high fire danger.

Note: WFO MRX does not produce a wind profile analysis.

#### Update Criteria for the Fire Weather Planning Forecast

The Fire Weather Forecaster will maintain a weather watch to ensure that
the forecast remains accurate. When unexpected changes occur or are
forecast to occur which significantly deviate form the previous
forecast, the forecast will be updated. The decision to update, to an
extent, is at forecaster discretion. The update criteria for various
elements are listed in the Appendix. It is a shared responsibility for
the WFO\'s and the natural resource agencies to monitor the need to
update a forecast. Respective agency personnel will also provide
feedback as to the updating of an FWF, NFDRS Point, or Spot Forecast.

### Site Specific Wildland Fire Forecasts (Spot Forecasts)

##### Criteria

Spot forecasts are special, non-routine forecasts prepared upon request
of any federal agency, or state agency when there is some aspect of
federal resources involved and/or interagency protection agreements
currently exist, that needs site specific weather forecasts for: 1)
controlling the spread of wildfire; 2) planning and managing prescribed
fires; or 3) other specialized forest management activities. In the
event of an emergency which threatens life and/or property, spot
forecasts can also be provided to any federal, state, or local agency.

##### Contents

Spot forecasts are highly detailed forecasts for a specific location
within the forecast area. The format of the spot forecast is specified
in National Weather Service Directive 10-401. The forecasts will be
**headlined** for a **Red Flag Warning** or **Fire Weather Watch**. The
forecasts will begin with a discussion, and may contain any or all of
the following weather elements: sky conditions; maximum and minimum
temperatures, minimum and maximum relative humidity values, wind speed
and direction; probability of precipitation; precipitation type,
duration and amount; mixing heights; transport wind; inversion height;
inversion onset and burnoff times or temperatures; ventilation and smoke
management levels; wind profiles; stability indices (IE., Haines Index),
and lightning activity levels (LAL). Since these are site specific and
can be initiated because of critical circumstances, tailored products
can be requested (e.g. temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed
forecasts on a two hour incremental time period).

##### Procedures for Requesting a Spot Forecast

Spot forecasts will be prepared when requested by a user agency.
Federal, state and local agencies may request spot forecasts in support
of wildfire suppression or other emergencies where lives and/or property
may be threatened. Due to the detailed and specific nature of this
forecast product, it is imperative that the user provide the forecaster
with necessary and sufficient information so that a reliable forecast
can be prepared.

Requests for spot forecasts should be made using the web based spot
forecast request form. This form, along with instructions on how to use
it, are available on the fire weather web pages of the local NWS sites,
which can be accessed at [www.erh.noaa.gov](http://www.erh.noaa.gov/).
The web based spot forecast request form should be filled out as
completely as possible by the user agency prior to submitting the
request. In times when internet access is hindered or not possible, spot
forecasts may be requested and disseminated via fax or phone. If faxing
a request, users should use the Fire Weather Special Forecast Request
Form, [WS Form
D-1](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5CD1-V2005.pdf).
Section I of WS Form D-1 should be filled out as completely as possible
by the user agency prior to submitting the request by the fax to the
forecast office. If the request is made by phone, all information in
Section I should be provided to the forecast office.

While there is no dedicated fire weather forecaster, the forecast office
will give a high priority to spot forecasts in the absence of weather
phenomena in the CWFA that pose a threat to life and property. To ensure
that the request for a spot forecast is handled properly and
appropriately, users should adhere to the following guidelines:

1\) Allow adequate time for the forecaster to prepare the forecast. This
will normally be between 20 and 30 minutes. On particularly busy fire
weather days, spot forecasts will be handled on a first-come,
first-serve basis, with wildfires or other life threatening events
taking the highest priority.

2\) Provide as much on-site or near-site weather information as
possible. At a minimum, the user must provide at least one observation
within an hour of the request. This observation must contain the
following: location of the observation; elevation at the observation
site; time of the observation; wind direction, speed, and level (eye or
20 foot); dry and wet bulb temperatures (or dry bulb temperature and
relative humidity); any remarks about the state of the weather,
particularly anything that may affect fire behavior. If possible,
include some observations from the previous day that might give the
forecaster an indication of daily trends.

3\) As much as possible, specify the time period for which the forecast
is needed.

4\) As much as possible, specify the weather elements of most importance
for which a forecast is needed, and/or critical values of these
elements.

5\) Provide a contact point name and phone number where the forecaster
can call back, if necessary. (Also include a fax number for returning
completed forecasts if the web based spot forecast form is not used).

6\) In order to receive prompt attention for a fax request, please phone
the office to let the forecaster know the request is on the way.

7\) Natural resource agency personnel should contact the appropriate NWS
forecast office for a spot update if the forecast conditions appear
unrepresentative of the actual weather conditions. Whenever possible,
users should provide feedback, positive or negative, to the NWS forecast
office concerning the performance of the spot forecast during or shortly
after an event. This will assist forecasters in subsequent forecasts for
the same or similar conditions.

Click for example of spot request form
[D1](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5CD1.doc).

### National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) Forecasts

#### Issuance

NFDRS forecasts will be issued for any predetermined site from which an
NFDRS observation is received, provided the observation is received on
time, is complete, and is deemed accurate. The natural resource agencies
will determine which observation sites (normally RAWS sites) will be
NFDRS sites. Initiation of NFDRS forecasts for a new site will be
coordinated with the NWS, and the agency requesting new NFDRS service
will provide the NWS with information about the site location. Forecasts
will not be provided for sites with bad data. The NWS will notify the
owner agency when bad data is received from a RAWS station.

#### Contents

The NFDRS forecast will be a forecast of the next day observation at
1300 LT. The format of the NFDRS forecast is specified in National
Weather Service Directive 10-401. The forecast will include the
following elements:

a\. ZONE/FCTS: Shows whether this forecast is for an NFDRS zone or
individual station. Zone average trends are forecast when enough
observation are available for the zone area. Individual site forecasts
are done where only a few observation are available.

b\. NO: NFDRS Zone Number (or individual NFDRS site number).

c\. YYMMDD: Year, month and day of valid forecast time.

d\. 13: Valid forecast time. Always 1300 LST.

e\. WX: Weather valid at 1300 LST tomorrow. Valid entries are:

0 = clear

1 = scattered clouds (1/8 to 4/8)

2 = broken clouds (5/8 to 7/8)

3 = overcast clouds (more than 7/8)

4 = fog

5 = drizzle

6 = rain

7 = snow or sleet

8 = showers (in sight or at the station)

9 = thunderstorm

(Categories 5, 6 or 7 sets NFDRS index to 0)

f\. TEMP: Temperature in degrees F valid at 1300 LST (or temperature
trend + or - degrees F).

g\. RH: Relative Humidity in percent valid at 1300 LST (or RH trend +
or - percent).

h\. LAL1: Lightning Activity Level 1400 LST to 2300 LST.

i\. LAL2: Lightning Activity Level 2300 LST to 2300 LST.

j\. WDIR: Wind Direction. Used only for point forecast (FCST) version.
Enter direction using sixteen point compass (N, NNE, NE, ENE, etc.)
valid at 1300 LST (20 ft level, 10 minute average).

k\. WSPD: Wind Speed. Enter wind speed in mph (or wind speed trend +
or - mph) valid at 1300 LST (20 ft, 10 minute average).

l\. 10HR: 10 hour timelag fuel moisture in percent valid at 1300 LST (or
trend + or - percent).

m\. Tx: Maximum temperature from 1300 LST to 1300 LST tomorrow.

n\. Tn: Minimum temperature from 1300 LST to 1300 LST tomorrow.

o\. RHx: Maximum relative humidity from 1300 LST to 1300 LST tomorrow.

p\. RHn: Minimum relative humidity from 1300 LST to 1300 LST tomorrow.

q\. PD1: Precipitation duration in hours 1300 LST to 0500 LST.

r\. PD 2: Precipitation duration in hours 0500 LST to 1300 LST.

s\. WETFLAG: Y or N. Indicates whether liquid water will be on the fuels
at 1300 LST tomorrow. (Use with caution. A \"Y\" will set all the NFDRS
indices to zero!).

Format. The NFDRS Forecast will follow the comma delimited format as
shown:

ZONE,NO,YYMMDD,13,WX,TEMP,RH,LAL1,LAL2,WSPD,10HR,TX,TN,RHx,RHn,PD1,PD2,WETFLAG

FCST,NO,YYMMDD,13,WX,TEMP,RH,LAL1,LAL2,WDIR,WSPD,10HR,TX,TN,RHx,RHn,PD1,PD2,WETFLAG

Procedures

The land management agencies are responsible for taking, quality
controlling, transmitting and archiving the NFDRS observations.
Observation must be received at the NWS in a timely manner. Forecasts
will only be prepared for predetermined sites, and only from those sites
for which an observation has been received. The NWS will prepare and
transmit the NFDRS forecasts no later than 4 PM. Although the data
cutoff time for ingest into the NFDRS software is 7 PM, preliminary
calculations based on the forecast are used by the land managers to make
staffing decisions at shift briefing time (4 PM).

### Fire Weather Watch and Red Flag Programs

During periods in which critical fire weather conditions are expected or
imminent, the NWS will issue statements, watches and warnings to
describe the level of urgency to the appropriate user agencies. These
issuances will be coordinated with natural resource agencies.

#### Definition of a Red Flag Event

A Red Flag Event occurs when critical weather conditions develop which
could lead to extensive wildfire occurrence or to extreme fire behavior.
Red Flag Events represent a threat to life and property, and may
adversely impact fire fighting personnel and resources. Critical weather
conditions include combinations of the following: strong, gusty winds;
very low relative humidity; high to extreme fire danger; significant
wind shifts; and lightning. **Specific criteria can be found in the
Appendix.**

#### Red Flag Warning

A Red Flag Warning will be issued, after coordination with the
appropriate natural resource agencies, when a Red Flag Event is
occurring or is imminent. The warning will be issued for all or a
portion of the forecast area. It will be issued immediately once the
forecaster and the appropriate natural resource agency have determined
that a Red Flag Event is ongoing. Otherwise, it shall be issued for
impending Red Flag conditions when there is a high degree of confidence
that conditions will develop within 24 hours. The warning will continue
until the conditions cease to exist or fail to develop as forecast. At
such time, the warning will be canceled. The format of the Red Flag
Warning is specified in National Weather Service Directive 10-401. **A
sample Red Flag Warning and cancellation are in the Appendix.**

#### Fire Weather Watch

A Fire Weather Watch will be issued, after coordination with the
appropriate natural resource agencies, to advise of the possible
development of a Red Flag Event in the near future. It will be issued
for all or part of the forecast area. A Fire Weather Watch is issued
when the forecaster and appropriate natural resource agencies are
reasonably confident that a Red Flag Event will occur. A watch should be
issued 12 to 48 hours in advance of, but not more 72 hours in advance
of, the expected onset of of the critical weather conditions. The watch
will remain in effect until either it is determined the Red Flag Event
will not develop, or that the watch should be upgraded to a warning. If
conditions are not expected to occur as forecast, the watch will be
canceled. The format of the Fire Weather Watch is specified in National
Weather Service Directive 10-401. **A sample Fire Weather Watch and
cancellation are in the Appendix.**

### Fire Danger Statements and Blow-Up Alerts

When fire danger or fire occurrence is high and is coupled with critical
weather conditions, user agencies may request that the NWS issue a Fire
Danger Statement or Blowup Alert. These statements will be issued in
coordination with the requesting agency and will only be issued with
their approval. The NWS will use the Special Weather Statement (SPS) for
these issuances.

### Communications

The primary means of communication used by the NWS is the Advanced
Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS). Products transmitted by
this means include pre-suppression forecasts, Fire Weather Watches, Red
Flag Warnings, and Fire Danger Statements. Spot Forecasts will be
disseminated only to the requesting agency by means of the Internet, or
as a backup, telefax (FAX). Therefore, anytime a request for a spot
forecast is made, the requesting agency must include a FAX number. A
voice number should also be included in case problems are encountered
with the fax transmission. Other means of communication may be utilized
upon mutual agreement with the user agencies.

Public products produced by the National Weather Service are available
over All Hazards NOAA Weather Radio (NWR). See the Appendix for a
listing of NWS transmitters servicing North Carolina.

### Participation in Interagency Groups

At a minimum, one NWS representative (usually the State Liaison WFO Fire
Weather Program Leader or MIC) will attend the State Interagency
meetings or working groups where fire weather or smoke management policy
is discussed as an integral part of the meeting. However, it is strongly
recommended that all NWS offices with fire weather responsibility attend
the meetings to ensure uniform representation.

#### 

#### 

### Special Services

Special fire weather services are those services that are uniquely
required by natural resource agencies and go beyond the normal forecast
operations of the NWS. Special services include Incident Meteorologist
(IMET) deployment, station visits, training, and other pertinent
meteorological services that are designated as non-routine.

Typically, special services require NWS personnel to be away from the
Forecast Office and, in some instances, be in overtime status. User
agencies are responsible for covering the cost of NWS overtime, travel
and per diem expenses. Reimbursement of costs for special services will
be as outlined in the [**Interagency Agreement for Meteorological
Services**](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5C2002agree.htm)

### Incident Support

On-site forecast service support is available for wildfires and
prescribed burns. This includes the deployment of an Incident
Meteorologist (IMET) and related service equipment such as the Advanced
Technology Meteorological Unit (ATMU), the All Hazards Meteorological
Response System (AMRS), and the Fire Remote Automated Weather Station
(Fire RAWS). The IMET, ATMU, AMRS, and the Fire RAWS are considered
national fire fighting resources, and can be requested through the North
Carolina Interagency Coordination Center.

The ATMU and AMRS are modularized and mobile systems of equipment used
by an Incident Meteorologist (IMET) for data collection and forecast
preparation. Only trained personnel will operate the ATMU and AMRS, and
this service equipment will only be dispatched to an incident when a
certified IMET is requested. The IMET is responsible for ordering and
arranging shipment for the ATMU and AMRS.

There are 25 ATMUs cached across the country, mostly in the western
states. The nearest [**ATMU
cache**](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5CAMRSandATMUlocations.pdf)
to the state of North Carolina is London, KY, where two are maintained.
[**AMRS
workstations**](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5CAMRSandATMUlocations.pdf)
are also pre-positioned across the country, most of which are collocated
with existing Weather Forecast Offices that contain certified IMETS.
These AMRS workstations are maintained by the IMETS and are typically
shipped with the IMET being mobilized.

The ATMU is composed of one large shipping box consisting of a
theodolite with tripod, a belt weather kit, PIBAL weather balloons, a
nozzle and regulator for a helium tank, and office supplies and
miscellaneous expendables. Its volume is 13.8 cubic feet and it weighs
122 pounds.

The AMRS is also composed of one large shipping box, and contains a
laptop computer, a satellite dish (BGAN) for obtaining weather data, a
printer and office supplies. The volume is 6.7 cubic feet, and its
weight is about 90.

Total weight of the ATMU and AMRS is 212 lbs with a volume of 20.5 cubic
feet. The cubic feet are necessary for shipment by air. The same
specification shown are listed in the user agencies\' National
Mobilization Guide.

Requests for the ATMU, AMRS, and IMET should be made through the North
Carolina Interagency Coordination Center. Typically, the IMET nearest
the incident will be deployed. However, during times of limited
resources, IMETs from other areas of the country may be called. The
decision will be made by the Special Meteorologist to NIFC (SMC) in
conjunction with the MIC and IMET from the affected offices. It is the
responsibility of the IMET to arrange shipment of the AMRS workstation.

The success of the operation depends in part on the user agency
providing shelter and logistical support. Prior to the use of this
equipment, the IMET is expected to have coordinated with the local user
agency to ensure proper field support. If an IMET determines that an
ATMU and/or Fire RAWS is desirable, it is the IMET\'s responsibility to
ensure the ATMU and Fire RAWS have also been ordered for the incident.

The requesting agency is responsible for any storage of service
equipment while in transit, and shelter for the IMET and service
equipment at the site. A sheltered work area, of at least 50 square feet
with a table and chair, must be protected from excessive dust, free of
standing water or condensation, and must be heated and/or cooled
sufficiently to allow efficient operation of equipment. Power (120V AC)
must be provided for the AMRS\'s electrical equipment, and priority
telephone access during certain short periods each day must be made
available.

The procedure for requesting IMETs will follow the guidelines outlined
in the national MOA, the National Mobilization Guide, and the Southern
Area Interagency Mobilization Guide. The following information will be
provided to the requested IMET:

1\. Name of fire.

2\. Location of fire.

3\. Directions to location where the IMET is to report and the location
of ICP.

4\. Name of Incident Commander, Plans Chief, and FBAN, if available.

5\. Request and Resource Order number for IMET.

Upon arrival at the incident and after going through the appropriate
check-in procedures, the IMET will:

1.  Brief the Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN), Planning Section Chief
    (PSC), and the Incident Commander (IC) on current and expected
    weather as it affects the fire.

2.  Establish a schedule with the IC and the FBAN for written forecasts
    and formal briefings.

3.  Request a briefing of the fire situation and potential behavior
    problems from the FBAN. As time and resources permit, incident
    management should arrange for an aerial inspection trip for the
    meteorologist and should provide the forecaster with current
    fireline maps. If possible, the IMET should be assigned a radio with
    the fireline frequency.

4.  Arrange for a schedule of observations from key points around the
    fire and from nearby lookouts and fire danger stations, in
    cooperation with the FBAN and PSC. On large fires, some personnel
    (at least two) should be permanently assigned to this duty. On
    smaller fires, this information can be provided by Division
    Supervisors equipped with belt weather kits.

IMET duties will vary with incident management team requirements, but
the IMET is expected to provide daily weather forecasts for the
incident, participate in shift briefings, planning and strategy meeting,
and coordinate daily with the local Weather Forecast Office (WFO) and
/or other IMETs at nearby incidents.

Demobilization is initiated at the incident, and will be coordinated
through the North Carolina Interagency Coordination Center. Upon
release, the user agency will transport the ATMU and Fire RAWS back to
its cache location or to the controlling fire weather office. Travel
arrangements will be made for the IMET back to his or her home office.
The IMET is responsible for transporting the AMRS workstation back to
the home office. If the AMRS unit resides at a different location than
the IMET, the IMET must make arrangements to ship the equipment to the
proper office, and charge any shipping cost to the fire.

### Other Special Services

Other special services may include weather station visits by partner
agency personnel, RAWS site surveys and inspections, weather observer
training, and course development work or related program work. These
activities would typically be at the full expense of the requesting
agency unless other arrangements have been made.

NWS meteorologists may also be asked to assist in other non-routine
services (e.g. briefings or coordination calls) during periods of high
fire danger or fire occurrence. MICs and Fire Program Leaders are to
ensure the natural resource agency needs are met with little expense to
either agency.

### Fire Weather Training

NWS meteorologists will be available to assist in user-oriented
training. This includes fire behavior courses, such as S-190 and S-290,
where the meteorologist will serve as part of the cadre for that course.
Requests for training assistance should be made through the NWS
office\'s Fire Weather Program Leader or Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC).
Sufficient advance notice should be given to allow for scheduling and
proper preparation. Costs incurred by the NWS in providing training
assistance will be borne by the requesting agency.

**Natural Resource Agency Responsibilities**

### Operational Support and Predictive Services

#### Program Management

The natural resource agencies will oversee the fire weather observation
program, including the siting and maintenance of the observing
equipment, fire weather training of their personnel, and the proficiency
of their personnel in the use of the NWS Spot software.

#### Monitoring, Feedback and Improvement

Natural resource agencies will monitor the quality and timeliness of NWS
fire weather products, and provide feedback the NWS in order to improve
services to the agencies.

#### Technology Transfer

The natural resource agencies may, from time to time, advise the NWS of
new technologies being implemented to monitor meteorological or fuel
parameters, or to improve communication, coordination, training or
reference. Natural resource agency personnel may, with prior
arrangement, visit an NWS office to acquire a knowledge of NWS
technologies used in the monitoring of weather, or the preparation of
products.

#### Agency Computer Resources

Internet will be the primary method of obtaining the Fire Weather
Forecast, Red Flag Warning, Fire Weather Watch, and for both requesting
and receiving a Spot Forecast. As a backup method, a request can be made
to the NWS for a product to be faxed to the customer agency. NFDRS
observations will be entered into WIMS, and forecasts and calculations
based on these observations will be received by WIMS, or by internet via
a WIMS website.

#### Fire Weather Observations

Fire weather observation stations provide the specialized weather
observations for fire weather forecasts, wildfire control and
suppression, and various other land management operations. These
stations were selected very carefully in each state and federal
district. Sites were chosen to represent homogeneous weather conditions
across a district. Stations may either be manned sites operated by land
management agencies, or unmanned, Remote Automatic Weather Stations
(RAWS) maintained by any of the federal or state land management
agencies in the area.

All observation stations are assigned a 6-digit identification/location
number. The first two digits indicate the state, the second two digits
indicated the county, and the last two digits indicated the
consecutively-assigned station number for that county. Land managers who
wish to have a number assigned to a station should contact the GACC
meteorologist at SACC in Atlanta.

RAWS stations are also assigned an 8 character alphanumeric identifier
based on satellite transmission time. The NESDIS ID, transmit channel
and time are assigned by the US Forest Service National RAWS program.

Observations from a satellite telemetered RAWS will automatically flow
into WIMS via the NESDIS ID. Observations are only entered manually if
the RAWS is a manual station. The RAWS owner currently must enter WIMS
and manually change a recorded observation (an R ob) to an observed
observation (an O ob), manually enter the state of the weather, and save
the observation to WIMS. This action is generally applied only to the
daily 1300 hour LST observation.

As a part of the ongoing reprogramming efforts in WIMS, the change form
R to O will soon be completely automated and a State of the Weather
(SOW) will be computed (in part) from solar radiation data. Once that
change is implemented (sometime in the future), manual daily entry in
WIMS will no longer be necessary for satellite telemetered stations. If
a station is not satellite telemetered, the entire 1300 hour LST
observation must be manually entered into WIMS. Non-NFDRS stations are
naturally exempt from these procedures.

Even with automated conversions to O type observations, the
responsibility still rests with the RAWS owner to ensure that
observations are being transmitted, recorded, and archived properly in
WIMS. The additional automation will greatly simplify the daily process,
however there will still be the need for observations to be checked for
integrity and consistency. Managing the NFDRS model parameters will
still be manual process in WIMS. Automation of O type observations will
help streamline the WIMS collective that is distributed to the NWS via
AWIPS. NFDRS forecasts are based on RAWS observations that appear on the
daily collective.

Sensor failure will often result in erroneous or (at best) suspicious
values. If the NWS becomes aware of such a situation, it is prudent to
contact the station owner. Similarly, if a station owner becomes aware
of sensor failure, he should relay that information to the appropriate
NWS office. It is that stations owner\'s responsibility to make sure
that their station is and remains in good working order and that repairs
are made in a timely manner. Owners of NFDRS stations can still (and
should) correct any errors in their respective observations.

#### On - Site Support

The user agencies are also responsible for maintaining observation site
equipment. NWS personnel may accompany the user on maintenance trips or
for annual inspection visits, which could also serve as liaison with the
users.

#### Training

The responsibility of training natural resource agency employees will be
that of the agencies themselves. However, the NWS will be available to
assist when requested to do so. Any expenses incurred by the NWS will
normally be charged to the user agency, unless other arrangements have
been made.

## Joint Responsibilities

Joint responsibilities include the following:

### Meetings between the NWS offices and the natural resource agencies.

At least one statewide meeting hosted by the NWS is normally attempted
each year, usually coordinated by the NWS State Liaison Offices in
Raleigh. Individual NWS offices normally conduct a meeting with all of
their customers, from all affected states, either each year or every
other year.

The Division of Forest Resources conducts at least two meetings per
year, roughly every summer and winter, with all natural resource
agencies and NWS offices serving North Carolina invited to attend. These
meetings typically will be held in central North Carolina, to minimize
travel distance. Although the agenda includes many internal division
matters they are of interagency consequence. Therefore, the NWS is a
Strategic Partner and is invited to these meetings since topics often
include NWS operations.

### Conference Calls.

During times of very high or extreme fire danger, or a Readiness Plan of
5 or higher (on a scale from 1 to 7), the NCFS Central Office may
initiate a conference call to discuss fire danger and weather. This call
may include various partner agencies, and either some, or all of the NWS
offices serving North Carolina, depending on the extent of the area of
concern. When more than one NWS office is participating, NCFS will ask
one NWS office to lead the weather discussion, which may be followed by
input from the other NWS offices for their area. At times when the
entire state is the area of concern, the NWS State Liaison Office in
Raleigh will normally lead the discussion, but this may vary if the area
of concern is skewed toward another NWS office\'s area. Conference calls
will normally be held in the late morning, when NWS offices are
beginning to consider their afternoon forecast package.

### Maintenance and Revision of the Annual Operating Plan.

The AOP should be revised each year by the end of January, with
cooperation and participation from each NWS office and each natural
resource agency. The state liaison office will be custodian of the plan.

### Notification of NWS Changes in Operating Procedures.

From time to time, NWS headquarters, or NWS Eastern Region Headquarters,
will send draft versions of future directives to their forecast offices
for review and comment. To ensure that the natural resource partner
agencies have an opportunity to review and comment on proposed changes,
the NWS State Liaison Office in Raleigh will forward a copy of draft
directives to NCFS when they are received. NCFS will then forward draft
NWS directives to the rest of the natural resource partner agencies for
review. Comments and suggestions can be forwarded to the NWS State
Liaison Office in Raleigh, which will forward them to NWS Eastern Region
Headquarters.

### Agreements on Services Provided.

Agreements on services and standards are normally reached at statewide
meetings, but may be achieved at by a series of local meetings or by
other means such as telephone or e-mail. NWS offices and land mangers
should be aware of the ripple effect an agreement might have on other
NWS offices and their customers, particularly when service areas cross
state lines.

### Workplace Visits.

Natural resource agencies and the NWS collaborate on familiarization of
personnel in each others fields of expertise, operations and equipment.
Visits to offices and work centers, as well field job sites can meet
part of these requirements.

### Service Evaluation.

Services provided by the NWS, and delivery of observations and
information from the natural resource agencies to the NWS in support of
these services, shall be under constant evaluation by both parties.

### Numbering and archiving of observation stations.

The GACC, when requested to do so by a natural resource agency, shall
assign a station ID number for fire weather observation platforms.\
\
The land management agency will provide the station name, location
(county, latitude, and longitude), and elevation to the GACC
meteorologist.\
\
The GACC meteorologist will assign the number and assist the station
owner in establishing a station catalog in WIMS.\
\
The numbering convention uses a six digit number, starting with 31 (for
NC). The following two digit number designates the county, and the
counties are numbered from 01 in the northwest, to 99 in the southeast.\
\
The GACC meteorologist is responsible for maintaining a database of RAWS
stations in his area. This information can be provided to the NWS
regional program manager upon request.\
\
The master list for North Carolina will be the list included in the
appendix of this operating plan, which will be updated at least annually
with any new or changed stations.

## Effective Dates on the AOP

The effective dates of this Annual Operating Plan will be from January 1
through December 31 of the current calendar year. This plan will be
subject to review and revision by all signatory parties each year, or
more frequently as operations warrant.

This plan will be available on the WFO fire weather Web pages. A copy of
this plan will be sent to NWS Eastern Region Headquarters by January 31
of the current year. Eastern Region Headquarters will forward a copy of
the plan to NIFC and NWS Headquarters.

## Signatory Page

The following signatories have agreed to the terms and conditions of
this

Annual Operating Plan, which is subject to revision on a least an annual
basis,

or more frequently as operations necessitate. Actual signatures are
maintained on file.

**[\_]{.underline}**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
1/31/08\_\_\
Margit Bucher\
North Carolina Field Office\
The Nature Conservancy

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/28/08\_\_\
Mary Noel\
National Forests in North Carolina\
USDA Forest Service

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/28/08\_\_\
Wib Owen\
Division of Forest Resources\
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/19/08\_\_\
John Mangus\
USMC Cherry Point

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/01/08\_\_\
Tom Crews\
District 1 Fire Management Officer\
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/13/08\_\_\_\
Bryan Henderson\
USAF Seymour Johnson AFB

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/12/08\_\_\_\
Denver S. Ingram\
Predictive Services Program Manager\
Southern Area Coordination Center

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/04/08\_\_\
John Ward\
US Army Fort Bragg

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/08/08\_\_\
Phillip Manuel\
Fire Weather Program Leader\
NWS Blacksburg, VA

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/12/08\_\_\
John Tomko\
Fire Weather Program Leader\
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/12/08 \_\
David Gaffin\
Fire Weather Program Leader\
NWS Morristown, TN

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
1/31/08\_\_\
James Merrell\
Fire Weather Program Leader\
NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/10/08\_\_\
Phillip Badgett\
Fire Weather Program Leader\
NWS Raleigh, NC

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/10/08 \_\
Larry Brown\
Fire Weather Program Leader\
NWS Wakefield, VA

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/27/08 \_\
Ron Steve\
Fire Weather Program Leader\
NWS Wilmington, NC

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_/signed/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
2/15/08 \_\
Isaac Harrold\
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commision

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ## Appendices                                                         |
|                                                                       |
| ###                                                                   |
| Interagency Agreement for the Meteorological Services in Support of A |
| gencies with Land and Fire Management Responsibilities [(Click Here)] |
| (../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5C2002agree.htm) |
|                                                                       |
| ### Fire Weather Zone Maps                                            |
|                                                                       |
| Fire weather zones consist of groups of counties (or occasionally     |
| single counties) selected based on homogeneous climatology and        |
| expected weather. These groupings may change from forecast issuance   |
| to forecast issuance, and may contain counties from adjacent states   |
| served by the same NWS office. For a map of the NC fire weather       |
| forecast zones, [click                                                |
| he                                                                    |
| re.](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5CNCmap.htm) |
|                                                                       |
| ### Catalog of Fire Weather Observation Sites                         |
|                                                                       |
| ####                                                                  |
|  Name; County; Office; Station Number; Latitude; Longitude; Elevation |
|                                                                       |
| ALLIGATOR RIVER; Dare Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 315405; 35.8550   |
| N; 75.8720 W, 7\'                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| BACK ISLAND; Pender Co.; Wilmington, NC (ILM); 319402; 34.5328 N;     |
| 77.7219 W, 20\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| BEAUFORT; Beaufort Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 317801; 35.5200 N;   |
| 76.9300 W, 25\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| BUSICK; Yancey Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 313402; 35.7689 |
| N; 82.1911 W; 2892\'                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| CASWELL GAMELANDS; Caswell Co.; Blacksburg, VA (RNK); 310801; 34.3850 |
| N; 79.2910 W; 580\'                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| CEDAR ISLAND; Carteret Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 319604; 35.0020  |
| N; 76.2969 W; 7\'                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| CHEOAH; Graham Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 315501; 35.2000 |
| N; 83.5900 W; 1500\'                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| CHEROKEE; Swain Co.; Morristown, TN (MRX); 313902; 35.6197 N; 83.2042 |
| W; 3400\'                                                             |
|                                                                       |
| CROATAN; Carteret Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 319602; 34.8000 N;    |
| 76.8700 W; 20\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| D-2 LENOIR; Caldwell Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 313501;   |
| 35.9319 N; 81.4969 W; 1135\'                                          |
|                                                                       |
| DAVIDSON; Transylvania Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 316001; |
| 35.3506 N; 82.7675 W; 3210\'                                          |
|                                                                       |
| DUKE FOREST; Orange Co.; Raleigh, NC (RAH); 312501; 35.9667 N;        |
| 79.0917 W; 564\'                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| ELIZABETH CITY; Pasquotank Co.; Wakefield, VA (AKQ); 311502; 36.2070  |
| N; 76.1630 W; 15\'                                                    |
|                                                                       |
| FAIRFIELD; Hyde Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 317901; 35.5420 N;      |
| 76.2230 W; 10\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| FIRE TOWER (CL2); Onslow Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 319506;        |
| 34.6114 N; 77.2917 W; 20\'                                            |
|                                                                       |
| FORT BRAGG; Cumberland Co.; Raleigh, NC (RAH); 318503; 35.1397 N;     |
| 79.0644 W; 469\'                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| GRANDFATHER; McDowell Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 314201;  |
| 35.7564 N; 82.0439 W; 1600\'                                          |
|                                                                       |
| GREEN CROSS; Bertie Co.; Wakefield, VA (AKQ); 313001; 36.0100 N;      |
| 76.9000 W; 52\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| GUION FARM; Henderson Co; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 316102;   |
| 35.2133 N; 82.5900 W; 2600\'                                          |
|                                                                       |
| HIGHLANDS; Macon Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 315803;       |
| 35.0828 N; 83.2168 W; 3800\'                                          |
|                                                                       |
| HOFFMAN FOREST; Onslow Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 319507; 34.8250  |
| N; 77.3200 W; 42\'                                                    |
|                                                                       |
| JACKSON CO; Jackson Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 315902;    |
| 35.3167 N; 83.2000 W; 2800\'                                          |
|                                                                       |
| LAUREL SPRINGS; Ashe Co., Blacksburg, VA (RNK); 310101; 36.4020 N;    |
| 81.2970 W; 3000\'                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| LEXINGTON; Davidson Co., Raleigh, NC (RAH); 314602; 35.7922 N;        |
| 80.3119 W; 751\'                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| MACKAY ISLAND; Currituck Co.; Wakefield, VA (AKQ); 311601; 36.3300 N; |
| 76.0000 W; 12\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| MATTAMUSKEET; Hyde Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 317902; 35.5000 N;   |
| 76.3000 W; 20\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| MT ISLAND LAKE; Gaston Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 316602; |
| 35.3789 N; 80.9925 W; 500\'                                           |
|                                                                       |
| NATURE CONSERVANCY; Brunswick Co.; Wilmington, NC (ILM); 319802;      |
| 34.0483 N; 78.2903 W; 56\'                                            |
|                                                                       |
| NEW BERN; Craven Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 319004; 35.0970 N;     |
| 77.1108 W; 20\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| NORTH COVE; Burke Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 314301;      |
| 35.8167 N; 81.9372 W; 2657\'                                          |
|                                                                       |
| POCOSIN LAKES; Washington Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 315201;       |
| 35.7470 N; 76.5108 W; 11\'                                            |
|                                                                       |
| RENDEZVOUS MOUNTAIN; Wilkes Co., Blacksburg, VA (RNK); 312001;        |
| 36.2260 N; 81.2960 W; 2380\'                                          |
|                                                                       |
| ROCKINGHAM; Richmond Co., Raleigh, NC (RAH); 318202; 34.9600 N;       |
| 79.6900 W; 400\'                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| ROCKY MOUNT; Nash Co., Raleigh, NC (RAH); 312802; 35.9731 N; 77.7986  |
| W; 105\'                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| RUTHERFORDTON; Rutherford Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP);      |
| 316302; 35.4286 N; 81.9394 W; 1056\'                                  |
|                                                                       |
| SANDY RUN (CL 1); Onslow Co.; Morehead City, NC (MHX); 319505;        |
| 34.6119 N; 77.4875 W; 40\'                                            |
|                                                                       |
| SEVEN MILE RIDGE; Madison Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP);      |
| 313302; 35.8031 N; 82.6503 W; 2150\'                                  |
|                                                                       |
| SUNNY POINT; Brunswick Co.; Wilmington, NC (ILM); 319803; 34.0028 N;  |
| 77.9581 W; 30\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| TAYLORSVILLE, Alexander Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP);        |
| 313601; 35.9119 N; 81.1375 W; 1190\'                                  |
|                                                                       |
| TROY; Montgomery Co.; Raleigh, NC (RAH); 317001; 35.7922 N; 79.8667   |
| W; 541\'                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| TURNBULL CREEK; Bladen Co.; Wilmington, NC (ILM); 319302; 34.6831 N;  |
| 78.5817 W; 98\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| TUSQUITEE; Cherokee Co.; Morristown, TN (MRX); 315602; 35.0400 N;     |
| 84.0700 W; 1600\'                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| WAYAH; Macon Co.; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); 315802; 35.1691   |
| N; 83.4061 W; 2160\'                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| WHITESVILLE; Columbus Co.; Wilmington, NC (ILM); 319701; 34.3360 N;   |
| 78.7286 W; 98\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| ### ASOS Observation Sites                                            |
|                                                                       |
| #### Name; ID; Latitude; Longitude; Elevation                         |
|                                                                       |
| Asheville Regional Airport; AVL; 35.4333 N; 82.5333 W; 2140\'         |
|                                                                       |
| Beaufort; MRH; 34.7300 N; 76.6600 W; 10\'                             |
|                                                                       |
| Burlington, Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport; BUY; 36.0485 N;     |
| 79.4749 W; 617\'                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| Charlotte-Douglass International Airport; CLT; 35.2167 N; 80.9500 W;  |
| 728\'                                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Chapel Hill, Horace Williams Airport; IGX; 35.9350 N; 79.0659 W;      |
| 512\'                                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Cherry Point; NKT; 34.9000 N; 76.8800 W; 30\'                         |
|                                                                       |
| Elizabeth City CG Air Station/Regional Airport; ECG; 36.2500 N;       |
| 76.1700 W; 33\'                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| Fayetteville; Fayetteville Regional Airport; FAY; 34.9912 N; 78.8803  |
| W; 189\'                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| Gastonia Municipal Airport; AKH; 35.0167 N; 80.6167 W; 679\'          |
|                                                                       |
| Greensboro; Piedmont Triad International Airport; GSO; 36.0977 N;     |
| 79.9373 W; 926\'                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| Hatteras; HSE; 35.2200 N; 75.6200 W; 10\'                             |
|                                                                       |
| Hickory Regional Airport; HKY; 35.7333 N; 81.3833 W; 1143\'           |
|                                                                       |
| Lumberton Municipal Airport; LBT; 34.6099 N; 79.0594 W; 126\'         |
|                                                                       |
| Maxton; Laurinburg-Maxton Airport; MEB; 34.7919 N; 79.3658 W; 220\'   |
|                                                                       |
| Monroe Regional Airport; EQY; 35.2000 N; 81.1500 W; 797\'             |
|                                                                       |
| New Bern; EWN; 35.0700 N; 77.0500 W; 20\'                             |
|                                                                       |
| New River; NCA; 34.7200 N; 77.4500 W; 26\'                            |
|                                                                       |
| Raleigh/Durham; Raleigh/Durham International Airport; RDU; 35.8776 N; |
| 78.7875 W; 435\'                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| Roanoke Rapids; Halifax County Airport; RZZ; 36.4395 N; 77.7093 W;    |
| 256\'                                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Rocky Mount; Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport; RWI; 35.8563 N;     |
| 77.8919 W; 159\'                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| Southern Pines; Moore County Airport; SOP; 35.2374 N; 79.3912 W;      |
| 461\'                                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Wilmington International Airport; ILM; 34.2700 N; 77.9000 W, 33\'     |
|                                                                       |
| Winston-Salem; Smith Reynolds Airport; INT; 36.1337 N; 80.2220 W,     |
| 969\'                                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| ### AWOS Observation Sites                                            |
|                                                                       |
| #### Name; ID; Latitude; Longitude; Elevation                         |
|                                                                       |
| Ahoskie; Tri-County Airport; ASJ; 36.3000 N; 77.1700 W, 68\'          |
|                                                                       |
| Albemarle; Stanly County Airport; VUJ; 35.4167 N; 80.1508 W, 609\'    |
|                                                                       |
| Andrews-Murphy; Cherokee County; RHP; 35.1900 N; 83.8600 W, 1696\'    |
|                                                                       |
| Asheboro; Asheboro Municipal Airport; HBI; 35.6545 N; 79.8947 W,      |
| 673\'                                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Brunswick County Airport; SUT; 33.9300 N; 78.0700 W; 26\'             |
|                                                                       |
| Clinton; Sampson County Airport; CTZ; 34.9756 N; 78.3646 W; 148\'     |
|                                                                       |
| Concord Regional Airport; JQF; 35.3852 N; 80.7097 W; 690\'            |
|                                                                       |
| Columbus County Municipal Airport; CPC; 34.2700 N; 78.7100 W; 98\'    |
|                                                                       |
| Currituck County Airport; ONX (formerly 9W7); 36.4000 N; 76.0200 W;   |
| 16\'                                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| Edenton, Northeast Regional Airport; EDE; 36.0300 N; 76.5700 W; 20\'  |
|                                                                       |
| Erwin; Harnett County Airport; HRJ; 35.3794 N; 78.7830 W; 199\'       |
|                                                                       |
| Franklin Airport; 1A5; 35.2226 N; 83.4190 W; 2020\'                   |
|                                                                       |
| Goldsboro; Goldsboro-Wayne Municipal Airport, GWW; 35.4606 N; 77.9649 |
| W; 134\'                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| Jefferson; Ashe County Airport; GEV; 36.4300 N; 81.4200 W; 3179\'     |
|                                                                       |
| Kenansville; DPL; 35.0000 N; 77.9800 W; 138\'                         |
|                                                                       |
| Kinston, ISO; 35.3300 N; 77.6200 W; 10\'                              |
|                                                                       |
| Lexington; Davidson County Airport; EXX; 35.7811 N; 80.3039 W; 733\'  |
|                                                                       |
| Lincolnton, Lincoln County Regional Airport; IPJ; 35.4833 N; 81.1613  |
| W; 875\'                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| Louisburg; Franklin County Airport; LHZ; 36.0233 N; 78.3303 W; 369\'  |
|                                                                       |
| Manteo; MQI; 35.9200 N; 75.7000 W; 13\'                               |
|                                                                       |
| Morganton-Lenoir Airport; MRN; 35.8202 N; 81.6114 W; 1270\'           |
|                                                                       |
| Mount Airy, Surry County Airport; MWK; 36.4600 N; 80.5500 W; 1247\'   |
|                                                                       |
| North Wilkesboro; UKF; 36.2200 N; 81.1100 W; 1299\'                   |
|                                                                       |
| Oxford; Oxford Airport; HNZ; 36.3616 N; 78.5292 W; 527\'              |
|                                                                       |
| Pitt-Greenville; PGV; 35.6300 N; 77.4000 W; 26\'                      |
|                                                                       |
| Richlands; OAJ; 34.8300 N; 77.6200 W; 95\'                            |
|                                                                       |
| Roxboro; Person County Airport; TDF; 36.2849 N; 78.9842 W; 610\'      |
|                                                                       |
| Rutherfordton; Rutherford County Airport, Marchman Field; FQD;        |
| 35.4282 N; 81.9351 W; 1078\'                                          |
|                                                                       |
| Salisbury; Rowan County Airport; RUQ; 35.6459 N; 80.5203 W; 773\'     |
|                                                                       |
| Sanford; Sanford-Lee County Regional Airport; TTA; 35.5837 N; 79.1008 |
| W; 247\'                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| Shelby Municipal Airport; EHO; 35.2556 N; 81.6010 W; 847\'            |
|                                                                       |
| Smithfield; Johnston County Airport; JNX; 35.5409 N; 78.3903 W; 165\' |
|                                                                       |
| Statesville Municipal Airport; SVH; 35.7653 N; 80.9567 W; 965\'       |
|                                                                       |
| Wadesboro; Anson County Airport; AFP; 35.0206 N; 80.0771 W; 298\'     |
|                                                                       |
| Washington; OCW; 35.5700 N; 77.0500 W; 39\'                           |
|                                                                       |
| Watauga County Hospital Helipad; TNB; 36.2000 N; 81.6500 W; 3146\'    |
|                                                                       |
| ### Military Observation Sites                                        |
|                                                                       |
| #### Name; ID; Latitude; Longitude; Elevation                         |
|                                                                       |
| Fayetteville; Pope AFB; POB; 35.1708 N; 79.0145 W, 217\'              |
|                                                                       |
| Fayetteville; Simons AAF; FBG; 35.1318 N; 78.9367 W, 242\'            |
|                                                                       |
| Goldsboro; Seymour-Johnson AFB; GSB; 35.3393 N; 77.9607 W, 110\'      |
|                                                                       |
| Hoffman; Mackall AAF; HFF; 35.0365 N; 79.4975 W, 376\'                |
|                                                                       |
| ### All Ha                                                            |
| zards NOAA Weather Radio Transmitters Serving North Carolina Counties |
|                                                                       |
| #### For a map of each transmitter reception a                        |
| rea, click [here](http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/states/ncarolina.html). |
|                                                                       |
| #### Location, Office, Call Sign, Frequency, Counties Served          |
|                                                                       |
| Aynor, SC; Wilmington, NC (ILM); KEC-95; 162.400 MHz; Brunswick,      |
| Columbus                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| Blue Ridge, GA; Peachtree City, GA (FFC); KXI-75; 162.475 MHz;        |
| Cherokee                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| Brasstown, GA; Peachtree City, GA (FFC); KXI-22; 162.500 MHz; Clay    |
|                                                                       |
| Buck Mt., NC; Raleigh, NC (RAH); WWF-60; 162.500 MHz; Anson,          |
| Cabarrus, Davidson, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Stanly,    |
| Union                                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Cape Hatteras, NC; Morehead City, NC (MHX); KIG-77; 162.475 MHz;      |
| Dare, Hyde, Tyrell, Washington                                        |
|                                                                       |
| Chapel Hill, NC; Raleigh, NC (RAH); WXL-58; 162.500 MHz; Alamance,    |
| Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Lee, Orange, Person,  |
| Randolph, Vance, Wake, Warren                                         |
|                                                                       |
| Cheraw, SC; Columbia, SC (CAE); WXK-90; 162.450 MHz; Anson, Richmond, |
| Scotland                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| Ellerbe, NC; Raleigh, NC (RAH); WNG-597; 162.400 MHz; Anson, Hoke,    |
| Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly               |
|                                                                       |
| Fayetteville, NC; Raleigh, NC (RAH); WXL-50; 162.475 MHz; Bladen,     |
| Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Sampson, |
| Scotland, Robeson                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| Garner, NC; Raleigh, NC (RAH); KXI-72; 162.450 MHz; Franklin,         |
| Harnett, Johnston, Nash, Wake, Wayne, Wilson                          |
|                                                                       |
| Glassy Mt., GA; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); KXI-81; 162.450     |
| MHz; Macon                                                            |
|                                                                       |
| Grandmother Mt., NC; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); WNG-538,       |
| 162.450 MHz; Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba McDowell,     |
| Mitchell, Watauga, Yancey                                             |
|                                                                       |
| Henderson, NC; Raleigh, NC (RAH); WNL-59, 162.500 MHz; Franklin,      |
| Granville, Person, Vance, Warren                                      |
|                                                                       |
| Joanna Bald Mt., NC; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); WWG-82;        |
| 162.400 MHz; Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Swain            |
|                                                                       |
| Lumber, NC; Wilmington, NC (ILM); WWF-89; 162.525 MHz; Bladen,        |
| Columbus, Hoke, Robeson, Scotland                                     |
|                                                                       |
| Mamie, NC; Wakefield, VA (AKQ); WWH-26; 162.425 MHz; Camden,          |
| Currituck, Pasquotank, Perquimans                                     |
|                                                                       |
| Margarettsville, NC; Wakefield, VA (AKQ); WWG-33; 162.450 MHz;        |
| Northampton                                                           |
|                                                                       |
| Mooresville, NC; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); KYJ-85; 162.525    |
| MHz; Alexander, Cabarrus, Catawba, Davie, Lincoln, Gaston, Iredell,   |
| Mecklenburg, Rowan                                                    |
|                                                                       |
| Mount Jefferson, NC; Blacksburg, VA (RNK); WNG-588; 162.500 MHz;      |
| Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Catawba, Davie, Iredell, |
| Watauga. Wilkes                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| New Bern, NC; Morehead City, NC (MHX); KEC-34; 162.400 MHz; Beaufort, |
| Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin,        |
| Onslow, Pamlico, Pitt                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Norfolk/Driver, VA; Wakefield, VA (AKQ); KHB-37; 162.550 MHz; Camden, |
| Currituck, Gates, Pasquotank                                          |
|                                                                       |
| Mt. Pisgah, NC; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); WXL-56; 162.400     |
| MHz; Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson,   |
| Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Yancey   |
|                                                                       |
| Poor Mt., VA; Blacksburg, VA (RNK); WXL-60; 162.475 MHz; Caswell,     |
| Rockingham                                                            |
|                                                                       |
| Rock Hill, SC, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); KHC-27; 162.425 MHz; |
| Mecklenburg, Union                                                    |
|                                                                       |
| Spencer Mt., NC; Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); WXL-70; 162.475    |
| MHz; Alexander, Anson, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Davie, Gaston,   |
| Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, Union                   |
|                                                                       |
| Tarboro, NC; Raleigh, NC (RAH); WXL-59; 162.475 MHz; Edgecombe,       |
| Greene, Halifax, Nash, Northampton, Pitt, Warren, Wilson              |
|                                                                       |
| Tri-Cities, TN; Bristol, TN (MRX); WXK-47; 162.550 MHz; Ashe, Avery,  |
| Madison, Mitchell, Watauga, Yancey                                    |
|                                                                       |
| Warsaw, NC; Morehead City, NC (MHX); KXI-95; 162.425 MHz; Bladen,     |
| Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pender, Sampson, Wayne                 |
|                                                                       |
| Windsor, NC; Wakefield, VA (AKQ); WNG-537; 162.525 MHz; Bertie,       |
| Chowan, Gates, Hertford, Northampton, Perquimans                      |
|                                                                       |
| Winnabow, NC; Wilmington, NC (ILM); KHB-31; 162.550 MHz; Bladen,      |
| Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender                      |
|                                                                       |
| Winston-Salem, NC; Raleigh, NC (RAH); WXL-42; 162.400 MHz; Alamance,  |
| Alexander, Alleghany, Caswell, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Iredell,     |
| Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin                      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ### Red Flag Criteria                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| For North Carolina, two or more of the following weather criteria (1  |
| to 4) must be occurring or expected, in addition to high (or greater) |
| fire danger (5):                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| 1\. Relative Humidity of 25% or less.                                 |
|                                                                       |
| 2\. Sustained wind (20 ft, 2 min avg.) of 20 mph or greater, or gusts |
| to 30 mph.                                                            |
|                                                                       |
| Note: **WFO MRX** uses sustained wind 18 mph or greater.              |
|                                                                       |
| 3\. Dry lightning.                                                    |
|                                                                       |
| 4\. A significant wind shift during times of active fire suppression. |
|                                                                       |
| 5\. High, Very High, or Extreme fire danger, as assessed by the       |
| natural resource agencies, and/or as generated by the processor in    |
| the Weather Information Management System (WIMS) and posted in the    |
| Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS). This will be obtained by the  |
| National Weather Service from the respective natural resource agency  |
| personnel and from WIMS or WFAS.                                      |
|                                                                       |
| 6\. **WFO MRX only:** rainfall less than 0.25 inches during the past  |
| two days.                                                             |
|                                                                       |
| Note: In periods of prolonged drought, adjustments may be made to the |
| criteria.                                                             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ### Fire Weather Product Examples                                     |
|                                                                       |
| Click here for the latest products from:                              |
|                                                                       |
| Blacksburg, VA (RNK): [Red                                            |
| Flag](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/WBCRFWRNK.html) or [Fire        |
| Weather Forecast](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/WBCFWFRNK.html)\    |
| Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP): [Red                                |
| Flag](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/CAERFWGSP.html) or [Fire        |
| Weather Forecast](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/CAEFWFGSP.html)\    |
| Morehead City, NC (MHX): [Red                                         |
| Flag](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/RDURFWMHX.html) or [Fire        |
| Weather Forecast](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/RDUFWFMHX.html)\    |
| Morristown, TN (MRX): [Red                                            |
| Flag](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/MEMRFWMRX.html) or [Fire        |
| Weather Forecast](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/MEMFWFMRX.html)\    |
| Raleigh, NC (RAH): [Red                                               |
| Flag](http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rah/data/RDURFWRAH.html) or [Fire       |
| Weather Forecast](http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rah/data/RDUFWFRAH.html)\   |
| Wakefield, VA (AKQ): [Red                                             |
| Flag](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/WBCRFWMRX.html) or [Fire        |
| Weather Forecast](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/WBCFWFMRX.html)\    |
| Wilmington, NC (ILM): [Red                                            |
| Flag](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/RDURFWILM.html) or [Fire        |
| Weather Forecast](http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/FIREWX/RDUFWFILM.html)     |
|                                                                       |
| Click here for an example of a [Red Flag Warning, Fire Weather Watch, |
| Fire Weather Forecast, or Fire Danger                                 |
| Statement                                                             |
| ](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5Cexamples.doc) |
| from WFO Wilmington, NC\                                              |
| \                                                                     |
| Click here for an example of a [Spot                                  |
| Fore                                                                  |
| cast](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5CSpot.txt) |
| from WFO Greenville-Spartanburg,SC                                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ### Burn Category Table                                               |
|                                                                       |
| #### Ventilation Rate (ft mph) and Associated Burn Category           |
|                                                                       |
| 0 to 33499 = 1                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| 33500 to 44999 = 2                                                    |
|                                                                       |
| 44500 to 59999 = 3                                                    |
|                                                                       |
| 60000 to 111999 = 4                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| 112000 + = 5                                                          |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ### Dispersion Table                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| #### Surface Wind (MPH) and Associated Dispersion Category            |
|                                                                       |
| Near Calm = Stagnant                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| 2 - 4 MPH = Very Poor                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| 6 - 8 MPH = Poor                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| 9 - 12 MPH = Fair                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| 13 MPH + = Good                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| #### MRX Lavdas Dispersion Index                                      |
|                                                                       |
| 1-6 = Very Poor                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| 7-12 = Poor                                                           |
|                                                                       |
| 13-20 = Generally Poor                                                |
|                                                                       |
| 21-40 = Fair                                                          |
|                                                                       |
| 61-100 = Good                                                         |
|                                                                       |
| 100+ = Very Good                                                      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ### Lightning Activity Level                                          |
|                                                                       |
| #### LAL Categories                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| 1: No Thunderstorms.                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| 2: Cumulus clouds are common, but only a few reach the towering       |
| cumulus stage. A single thunderstorm must be confirmed in the rating  |
| area. The clouds mostly produce virga, but light rain will            |
| occasionally reach the ground.                                        |
|                                                                       |
| 3: Cumulus clouds are common. Swelling and towering cumulus cover     |
| less than 2/10ths of the sky. Thunderstorms are few, but two or three |
| must occur within the observation area. Light to moderate rain will   |
| reach the ground, and lightning is infrequent.                        |
|                                                                       |
| 4: Swelling cumulus and towering cumulus cover 2/10ths to 3/10ths of  |
| the sky. Thunderstorms are scattered, but more than three must occur  |
| within the observation area. Moderate rain is commonly produced, and  |
| lightning is frequent.                                                |
|                                                                       |
| 5: Towering cumulus and thunderstorms are numerous, they cover more   |
| than 3/10ths of the sky and occasionally obscure it. Rain is moderate |
| to heavy, and lightning is frequent and intense.                      |
|                                                                       |
| 6: Same as #3, but dry (little or no rain reaching the ground).       |
|                                                                       |
| #### Lightning Strokes                                                |
|                                                                       |
| 1: 0/min., 0/5 min., 0/15 min.                                        |
|                                                                       |
| 2: 1/min., 1-5/5 min., 1-8/15 min.                                    |
|                                                                       |
| 3: 1-2/min., 6-10/5 min., 9-15/15 min.                                |
|                                                                       |
| 4: 2-3/min., 11-15/5 min., 16-25/15 min.                              |
|                                                                       |
| 5: 3/min., 15/5 min., 25/15 min.                                      |
|                                                                       |
| 6: 1-2/min., 6-10/5 min., 9-15/15 min.                                |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ### Wind Profile Analysis                                             |
|                                                                       |
| During the months of March, April, and May, forecast wind profiles    |
| for areas east of the mountains will be evaluated and categorized as  |
| favorable (for fire control), unfavorable (for fire control), or      |
| neutral (indeterminate for fire control).                             |
|                                                                       |
| The wind profile category for each zone grouping that include NC      |
| counties east of the mountains will be placed in remarks. If the      |
| category is neutral, an updated forecast will be issued once the      |
| morning soundings have been received and analyzed, categorizing each  |
| neutral grouping as either favorable or unfavorable.                  |
|                                                                       |
| #### Adverse Wind Profiles                                            |
|                                                                       |
| Click on the                                                          |
| [                                                                     |
| table](../../../../../../../../H:%5Chomepage%5Cfire%5CNC08%5CWPA.bmp) |
| for a brief overview of Adverse Wind Profiles; those that are deemed  |
| unfavorable for fire control.                                         |
|                                                                       |
| (For a more complete treatment of the topic, reference \"Vertical     |
| Wind Profiles and Associated Fire Behavior in Flat Country\",         |
| Division of Fire Research, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station,    |
| August 20, 1957\".)                                                   |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ###                                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| ###                                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| ### FWF Update Criteria                                               |
|                                                                       |
| Standard Air Temperature: +/- 5 degrees F.                            |
|                                                                       |
| Relative Humidity: +/- 5%.                                            |
|                                                                       |
| Wind Speed and Direction at 20 ft AGL: +/- 5 mph and/or 45 degrees.   |
|                                                                       |
| Precipitation POP, duration and amount: same as for public zones.     |
| Note: duration guideline for NFDRS is +/- 2 hours.                    |
|                                                                       |
| Inversions: +/- 100 m or 328 ft.                                      |
|                                                                       |
| Freezing Level: +/- 100 m or 328 ft.                                  |
|                                                                       |
| Transports Winds: +/- 5 mph and/or 45 degrees.                        |
|                                                                       |
| Mixing Height: +/- 100 m or 328 ft.                                   |
|                                                                       |
| Stability: Must be in correct category 90% of time.                   |
|                                                                       |
| Burn Category: One category of change.                                |
|                                                                       |
| Dispersion: One category of change.                                   |
|                                                                       |
| Note: Morning upper air soundings from nearby weather balloon sites   |
| should be examined for update criteria.                               |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ### Record of Changes to the AOP                                      |
|                                                                       |
| July 2005:                                                            |
|                                                                       |
| Noted in Appendix that adjustments may be made to Red Flag Criteria   |
| in periods of prolonged drought.                                      |
|                                                                       |
| Added Conference Calls section to Joint Responsibilities.             |
|                                                                       |
| Noted in Joint Responsibilities that NWS State Liaison Office         |
| forewards NWS draft directives to NCFS for review.                    |
|                                                                       |
| Noted in Appendix that NWS offices should check morning upper air     |
| soundings for update criteria.                                        |
|                                                                       |
| Added Record of Change section to Appendix.                           |
|                                                                       |
| Added Table of Contents to printable version of AOP.                  |
|                                                                       |
| Made hot links to e-mail for names of NWS Fire Program Leaders in     |
| Service Area and Organizational Directory.                            |
|                                                                       |
| Noted in Service Area and Organizational Directory that NWS Fire      |
| Program Leaders can be reached via e-mail from their office\'s fire   |
| weather homepage.                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| January 2007:                                                         |
|                                                                       |
| Added the Lavdas Dispersion table used by MRX in the Appendix.        |
|                                                                       |
| Noted the upcoming automation of R to O type NFDRS observations in    |
| Natural Resource Agency Responsibilities.                             |
|                                                                       |
| Noted in Services Provided by the National Weather Service the units  |
| for mixing height provided by MRX, and also that MRX provides the     |
| Lavdas Dispersion Index.                                              |
|                                                                       |
| January 2008:                                                         |
|                                                                       |
| Added Cherokee RAWS site to the Appendix.                             |
|                                                                       |
| Noted that MRX provides FWF in the afternoon on request during        |
| drought in Services Provided by the National Weather Service.         |
|                                                                       |
| Noted that MRX serves the Great Smoky Mountain portions of Haywood    |
| and Swain Counties under in Service Area and Organizational           |
| Directory, and changed the service area map to reflect this.          |
|                                                                       |
| Noted that the Wind Profile Analysis can be prodided at customer      |
| request outside of the spring fire season during high fire danger in  |
| Services Provided by the National Weather Service.                    |
|                                                                       |
| February 2008:                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| Updated NWR transmitter list in appendix.                             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+