FIPS Codes for NWR SAME Inupt

Active Weather for the West, Warming in the East

The potential for heavy snow at higher elevations in the western U.S. will continue for many spots through the weekend. In the meantime, the eastern half of the continental U.S. will transition to above normal temperatures ahead of a pair of cold fronts next week that will bring readings back to closer to normal as we approach Thanksgiving Day. Read More >

APPENDIX F - FIPS CODES FOR NWR-SAME INPUT

The Federal Emergency Management Agency divides the United States by state and county (or parish where applicable), then assigns a 6-digit "FIPS" (Federal Information Processing System) code to identify each county/parish. The National Weather Service NOAA Weather Radio uses the FIPS codes for the purpose of broadcasting weather and hazards information through the Emergency Alert System.

When you purchase special NOAA Weather Radios which have the capability to alert only for a specific county known as "Specific Area Message Encoding" you must have a FIPS code for the county.

Instructions for your radio receiver should also include a listing of FIPS codes.

Understanding the FIPS Code

The first digit in a FIPS code identifies the county subdivision, the next two digits identify the state, and the last three digits identify the county itself. For example: 016045. 0 is the County Subdivision, 16 is the State of Idaho code and 045 is the Gem County code.

Most FIPS codes begin with 0, which means that FIPS code represents an entire county. The NWS, however, may subdivide some larger counties. When that happens, each subdivision will be assigned a digit from 1-9 resulting in codes such as 116073, 216073 and so on. If you have questions whether a county has been subdivided, please contact the nearest NWS office for guidance.