NOAA Weather Radio

NOAA Weather Radio in the Florida Keys

The National Weather Service in Key West operates two NOAA Weather Radio stations serving the Florida Keys and its adjacent waters. These stations operate on 162.400 MHz (serving the Keys from Key West through Marathon) and 162.450 MHz (serving the Keys from Grassy Key through Key Largo). In addition, a transmitter broadcast from our neighboring office in Miami on 162.425 MHz (serving the extreme upper Keys including Key Largo and Ocean Reef) is available. NOAA Weather Radio is the voice of the National Weather Service, providing critical weather warning information for the protection of life and property. NOAA Weather Radio also provides commercial-free broadcasting of weather forecasts and observations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. NOAA Weather Radio is an all-hazards public warning system which broadcasts emergency messages to the public as necessary 24 hours a day. These emergency messages are broadcast for natural hazards (weather emergencies), technological and industrial emergencies (radiation release, chemical releases from accidents), AMBER alerts (child abduction with significant endangerment threat), and terrorist attacks (Homeland Security). NOAA Weather Radio is the primary means to activate the Emergency Alert System (EAS) for weather emergencies.

Here in the Florida Keys, Monroe County Television offers occasional NOAA Weather Radio audio on the Monroe County Government Channel (Comcast Channel 76 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99). You may watch the streaming broadcasts from Channel 76, including instructions for streaming audio for a compatible phone, by visiting the Monroe County Television website. In addition, the normal television broadcast now has alternating audio between the weather radio, and PSA audio. Finally, to provide listeners with constant access to the weather radio, Monroe County has released a NOAA Weather Radio internet stream, accessible from the same page.

Special Note to Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) NOAA Weather Radio receivers: To set your radio to only broadcast Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages, the code you need for Monroe County is 012087.

If you use a SAME NOAA Weather Radio receiver, then set your code for "all" according to the manufacturer's instructions. Traveling? You may consult station listings across the country, all of the SAME county codes here, or dial 1-888-NWR-SAME (1-888-697-7263) for more information.

Mariners, the SAME codes for each Florida Keys marine zone are provided below:

Synopsis for Florida Bay and the Keys (GMZ005): 0770051

Florida Bay including Blackwater, Buttonwood, and Barnes Sounds (GMZ031): 077031

Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge (GMZ032): 077032

Gulf waters from East Cape Sable to Chokoloskee 20 to 60 nm out and beyond five fathoms (GMZ033): 077033

Gulf of Mexico including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel (GMZ034): 077034

Gulf of Mexico from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon Shoal out to 5 Fathoms (GMZ035): 077035

Hawk Channel from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef (GMZ042): 077042

Hawk Channel from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out to the reef (GMZ043): 077043

Hawk Channel from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon Shoal out to the reef (GMZ044): 077044

Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 nm (GMZ052): 077052

Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 nm (GMZ053): 077053

Straits of Florida from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to south of Halfmoon Shoal out 20 nm (GMZ054): 077054

Straits of Florida from Halfmoon Shoal to 20 nm west of Dry Tortugas out 20 nm (GMZ055): 077055

Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key 20 to 60 nm out (GMZ072): 077072

Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge 20 to 60 nm out (GMZ073): 077073

Straits of Florida from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to south of Halfmoon Shoal 20 to 60 nm out (GMZ074): 077074

Straits of Florida from Halfmoon Shoal to 20 nm west of Dry Tortugas 20 to 60 nm out (GMZ075): 077075

Don't have a NOAA Weather Radio? You'll find information on radio manufacturers and commercial-grade EAS receivers right here.

We invite your comments about our NOAA Weather Radio broadcast. We are interested in:

What areas over and near the Florida Keys you are concerned with weather and require National Weather Service forecasts and warnings.
The quality of your reception, and to which station you normally listen.
When you normally listen to NOAA Weather Radio forecasts to assist in your planning.
What broadcasts you like as-is, and what broadcast could be improved (including shortening, splitting, combining, broadcasting certain forecasts at certain times of the day, etc.)
What services ( for example, tide information ) you would like to hear on NOAA Weather Radio that are currently not broadcast.
For those of you with interests over and near Key West at the sunset hour, what specific weather information for sunset would assist you in your planning?

In addition, we are considering several new services using new technologies installed at the National Weather Service in Key West to support the NOAA Weather Radio program since autumn 1999. We may consider weekly forums including "Ask a Meteorologist...", a specific marine-oriented program addressing concerns of all who depend on coastal waters weather services, and frequent, live broadcasts to provide highly-detailed, critical information when hazardous weather threatens the Keys. Please write our Warning Coordination Meteorologist to share your comments and concerns about our weather broadcasts.