Changes Planned to South Carolina Mountains/Foothills Forecast Zones

Overview

Effective on March 22, 2022, the NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina (GSP) will change Public and Fire Weather Forecast Zones for Greenville, and Spartanburg Counties. After this change, all public and fire weather forecasts and related products will use the new zone numbers and names shown below. If March 22, 2022 is declared a Critical Weather Day, this implementation will be postponed to March 29. For Greenville County, which is currently comprised of two zones, it will be converted into three zones. Spartanburg County will be converted into two zones. These changes are intended to provide increased flexibility and improved accuracy of forecasts and various watches, warnings, and advisories in the public and fire weather programs. The new zones are as follows:

Greenville County:

SCZ106: Central Greenville
SCZ107: Southern Greenville

Spartanburg County:

SCZ108: Northern Spartanburg
SCZ109: Southern Spartanburg

Additionally, the mountain zones for Greenville, Pickens and Oconee Counties will be adjusted farther north to represent the true geographic location of the South Carolina Mountains. This will necessitate changing the UGC code for these forecast zones.

Below are graphics depicting these changes:

Justification

The zone changes for Greenville and Spartanburg County are needed because these counties are roughly 50 miles north to south, and Spartanburg County is serviced by five school districts. Especially for winter weather, there is a clear climatological difference between the northern and southern halves of both counties, roughly split by Interstate 85. The new zone configurations for Greenville and Spartanburg Counties will allow for more location specific forecasts, watches, warnings, and advisories. By decreasing the area covered by watches, warnings, and advisories for events such as winter storms, high wind episodes, and even the occasional inland tropical cyclones, unnecessary closures of schools and businesses should be reduced in the appropriate circumstances. It will also better serve the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville media market.

Table 1: WFO GSP's Affected Public and Fire Weather Forecast Zones
Current Public/Fire Zone Name / UGC	New Public/Fire Zone Name / New UGC
Greater Greenville / SCZ006	Central Greenville / SCZ106 Southern Greenville / SCZ107
Spartanburg / SCZ007	Northern Spartanburg / SCZ108 Southern Spartanburg / SCZ109
Oconee Mountains/ SCZ001	Oconee Mountains/ SCZ101
Pickens Mountains / SCZ002	Pickens Mountains / SCZ102
Greenville Mountains / SCZ003	Greenville Mountains / SCZ103
Greater Oconee / SCZ004	Greater Oconee / SCZ104
Greater Pickens / SCZ005	Greater Pickens / SCZ105

Table 2: Table 2: WFO GSP's Products Affected by These Changes
Product Name	WMO Header	AWIPS ID
Special Weather Statement	WWUS82 KGSP	SPSGSP
Hurricane Local Statement	WTUS82 KGSP	HLSGSP
Tropical Cyclone Watch/Warning	WTUS82 KGSP	TCVGSP
Zone Forecast Product	FPUS52 KGSP	ZFPGSP
Hazardous Weather Outlook	FLUS42 KGSP	HWOGSP
Non-Precipitation Watch/Warning/Advisory	WWUS72 KGSP	NPWGSP
Winter Weather Watch/Warning/Advisory	WWUS42 KGSP	WSWGSP
Area Forecast Matrices	FOUS52 KGSP	AFMGSP
Fire Weather Message	FNUS52 KGSP	FWFGSP
Flood/Flash Flood Watch	WGUS62 KGSP	FFAGSP
Hydrologic Outlook	FGUS72 KGSP	ESFGSP
Fire Weather Watch/Red Flag Warning	WWUS82 KGSP	RFWGSP
Public Information Statement	NOUS42 KGSP	PNSGSP
Point Forecast Matrices	FOUS52 KGSP	PFMGSP
Area Forecast Discussion	FXUS62 KGSP	AFDGSP
Precipitation and Temperature Summary	SXUS52 KGSP	HYDGSP
Daily River and Lake Summary	FGUS52 KGSP	RVDGSP
Hydrologic Statement	FGUS82 KGSP	RVSGSP
Hydrologic Statement	SRUS42 KGSP	RVAGSP
Air Quality Alert	AEUS72 KGSP	AQAGSP
Air Quality Forecast	AEUS72 KGSP	AQIGSP
Hydrologic Outlook	FGUS73 KGSP	ESFGSP
Flood Watch (River Fcst Point)	WGUS63 KGSP	FFAGSP

If you are affected by these changes, take the appropriate action so your system(s) recognize the new zone (Z) Universal Geographic Codes (UGC) and the new zone alignments and names. An updated public zone map shapefile is available for download at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/pubzone.htm An updated fire zone map shapefile is available for download at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/catalog/wsom/html/firezone.htm

Trisha Palmer	John Koch
Warning Coordination Meteorologist	Public Program Leader
National Weather Service	National Weather Service
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC	Eastern Region Headquarters
1549 GSP Drive	630 Johnson Avenue
Greer, SC 29651	Bohemia, NY 11716
864-848-9970x223	631-244-0104
Trisha.Palmer@noaa.gov	John.Koch@noaa.gov