NWS Tucson AZ SAME & EAS page

NOAA Weather Radio

Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME)

The Emergency Alert System (EAS)

&

Partial County Alerting

Your weather radio no longer has to be alarmed every time a warning is issued over NOAA Weather Radio. Whenever the National Weather Service issues weather warnings, newer types of weather radios on the market can determine if the warning is for your pre-defined specific location. If a particular warning is withnin your defined area, the radio will alarm. If the warning is outside of the area you defined, the radio will remain silent.

NOAA Weather Radio is the primary input to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) system for weather related emergencies. The method of encoding the location and type of emergency is referred to as "Specific Area Message Encoder" or SAME. Most weather radios can decode this SAME information, and alarm only if the emergency is in your location, and/or for the type of warning you want to receive.

The NWS will activate the NOAA Weather Radio SAME system for warnings of the following type...

TOR - Tornado Warning
SVR - Severe Thunderstorm Warning
FFW - Flash Flooding Warning
DSW - Dust Storm Warning

At the forecasters discretion, the following warnings may be SAME encoded...

HWW - High Wind Warning
WSW - Winter Storm Warning (Heavy Snow, Freezing Rain)

A weekly test of this system is activated every Wednesday between 1100 AM and noon, unless significant weather threatens southeast Arizona. This product is SAME encoded as...

RWT - Routine Weekly Test

The SAME code uses a combination of a geographic code (G), state code (SS), and county code (CCC) all combined into a 6 digit code with the following format: GSSCCC

The geographic code (G) defines what portion(s) of a particular county the warning is located. The following is a list of possible combinations for a geographic code...

0 - Entire county
1 - Northwest
2 - North Central
3 - Northeast
4 - West Central
5 - Central
6 - East Central
7 - Southwest
8 - South Central
9 - Southeast

The State code (SS) defines what state the warning is issued. Each state is given a two digit number. The state of Arizona is defined as 04.

The county code (CCC) is a three digit identifier for a particular county. The following numbers are defined for counties in Arizona...

001 Apache
003 Cochise
005 Coconino
007 Gila
009 Graham
011 Greenlee
012 La Paz
013 Marizopa
015 Mohave
017 Navajo
019 Pima
021 Pinal
023 Santa Cruz
025 Yavapai
027 Yuma

The six digit FIPS code (GSSCCC) is the combination of the geographic code, state code, and county code. For instance, northeastern Pima county (The Tucson metro area) would be coded 304019. This is decoded as 3 for the geographic code (northeast), 04 for the state (Arizona), and 019 for the county (Pima).

*** NOTE *** At the present time in southeast Arizona, Pima, Pinal and Cochise counties use a geographic code other than 0 (all of the county). All other counties in southeast Arizona (Santa Cruz, Graham, and Greenlee) use 0 (zero) for the geographic code.

In Pima County the following codes are used...

4 - Western two thirds (including the Tohono Oodham Nation, Ajo, Why and Organ Pipe NM)
3 - Northeast one third (includes The Tucson Metro area, Oro Valley, Marana and Vail)
9 - Southeast one third (includes Arivaca, Green Valley, Three Points, and Sahuarita)

In Pinal County...

9 - Southeast one half (includes Oracle, Picacho Peak, Eloy and Kearny)

In Cochise County...

1 - Northwest one quarter (includes Benson, Saint David and Texas Canyon)
3 - Northeast one quarter (includes Willcox, San Simon, Sunsites and Portal)
7 - Southwest one quarter (includes Fort Huachuca, Sierra Vista, Tombstone and Hereford)
9 - Southeast one quarter (includes Douglas, Bisbee and McNeal)

So a warning for the Douglas area would be coded as 904003.

Broadcasters who choose to relay specific partitions must add each unique, 6-digit location code to their EAS box filter.
Broadcasts who choose to relay an all-county warning will need to check with their EAS equipment supplier for additional instructions.
Partitioning will benefit lower wattage AM radio stations serving specific county partitions

For additional information about:

Partial County Alerting https://www.weather.gov/pca/NWR
On the FIPs code: https://www.nist.gov/itl/current-fips
Southeast Arizona see: https://www.weather.gov/twc/wxradio
Public Service Announcement (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4Na7D5oO8c

If you would like further information on how EAS works in the Tucson area, send an email with your questions to chelsea.peters@noaa.gov