VA Fire Weather Operating Plan

Appendices

Interagency Agreement for the Meteorological Services in Support of Agencies with Land and Fire Management Responsibilities (Click Here)

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 forecast zones the Wakefield NWS services, click here.

Catalog of Fire Weather Observation Sites within the Wakefield County Warning Area

State; Name; County; Station Number; Latitude; Longitude; Elevation

MD; BLACKWATER; Dorchester Co.; 182002; 38.4170 N; 76.0000 W; 8'

NC; ELIZABETH CITY; Pasquotank Co.; 311502; 36.2070 N; 76.1630 W; 15'

NC; GREEN CROSS; Bertie Co.; 313001; 36.0100 N; 76.9000 W; 52'

NC; MACKAY ISLAND; Currituck Co.; 311601; 36.3300 N; 76.0000 W; 12'

VA; BACK BAY; City of Virginia Beach; 449905; 36.6830 N; 75.9333 W; 8'

VA; GREAT DISMAL; City of Suffolk; 449801; 36.6130 N; 76.5538 W; 35'

VA; JAMES RIVER; Prince George Co.; 446801; 37.2500 N; 77.2500 W; 50'

ASOS Observation Sites

State; Name; ID; Latitude; Longitude; Elevation

VA; Richmond International Airport; RIC; 37.5050 N; 77.3200 W; 168'

VA; Hanover County Municipal Airport; OFP; 37.7078 N; 77.4364 W; 205'

VA; Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport; PHF; 37.1319 N; 76.4930 W; 43'

VA; Norfolk International Airport; ORF; 36.8944 N; 76.2017 W; 27'

VA; Wakefield Municipal Airport; AKQ; 36.9872 N; 77.0011 W; 113'

VA; Wallops Flight Facility; WAL; 37.9402 N; 75.4664 W; 40'

MD; Ocean City Municipal Airport; OXB; 38.3104 N; 75.1240 W; 11'

MD; Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport; SBY; 38.3405 N; 75.5103 W; 52'

NC; Elizabeth City CG Air Station/Regional Airport; ECG; 36.2606 N; 76.1746 W; 12'

AWOS Observation Sites

State; Name; ID; Latitude; Longitude; Elevation

NC; Ahoskie; Tri-County Airport; ASJ; 36.2980 N; 77.1716 W; 68'

NC; Currituck County Airport; ONX (formerly 9W7); 36.3989 N; 76.0163 W; 16'

NC; Edenton, Northeast Regional Airport; EDE; 36.0286 N; 76.5698 W; 20'

VA; Accomack County Airport (Melfa); MFV; 37.6469 N; 75.7611 W; 47'

VA; Chesapeake Regional Airport; CPK; 36.6656 N; 76.3207 W; 20'

VA; Emporia-Greensville Regional Airport; EMV; 36.6869 N; 77.4828 W; 127'

VA; Farmville Regional Airport; FVX; 37.3575 N; 78.4378 W; 417'

VA; Franklin Municipal Airport; FKN; 36.6981 N; 76.9038 W; 41'

VA; Louisa County Airport; LKU; 38.0098 N; 77.9701 W; 493'

VA; Mecklenburg-Brunswick Regional Airport; AVC; 36.6883 N; 78.0545 W; 442'

VA; Middle Peninsula Regional Airport (West Point); FYJ; 37.5212 N; 76.7647 W; 24'

VA; Norfolk Naval Station; NGU; 36.9377 N; 76.2893 W; 15'

VA; Oceana Naval Air Station; NTU; 36.8207 N; 76.0335 W; 22'

VA; Petersburg/Dinwiddie County Airport; PTB; 37.1838 N; 77.5074 W; 193'

VA; Suffolk Executive Airport; SFQ; 36.6824 N; 76.6019 W; 72'

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All Hazards NOAA Weather Radio Transmitters Serving The Wakefiled County Warning Area

For a map of each transmitter reception area, click here.

Transmitter Location; Call Sign; Frequency; Locations Served

Driver; KHB-37; 162.550 MHz; Southeast VA & Northeast NC, including Hampton Roads and Northeast Outer Banks.

Heathsville; WXM-57; 162.400 MHz; Northen Neck and Middle Peninsula (VA).

Margarettsville; WWG-33; 162.450 MHZ; South Central Virginia south to the NC Border, including Northampton County NC.

Salisbury; KEC-92; 162.475MHz; Delmarva Peninsula, including the city of Salisbury, MD.

Windsor; WNG537; 162.525 MHz; Northeast North Carolina, including the city of Windsor.

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Red Flag Criteria

The following weather criteria must be met, in addition to low fuel moisture.

In Maryland:

* Ten-hour fuel moistures are observed or expected to be 10 percent or less. This is an essential requirement and should be coordinated with the Eastern Region Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In the event coordination is not possible, the forecaster may, at his or her discretion, use the fuel moisture from the Blackwater RAWS (Site ID #182002).

          -AND- 

* Relative humidity is expected to fall below 30 percent at any time over the forecast area along with sustained winds of 25 mph or more.

The sustained wind will be a two-minute averaged, 20 foot-level wind forecast and will match the forecast wind in the fire zones.

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Fire Weather Product Examples

Click here for an example Fire Weather Forecast from WFO Wakefield, VA.
Click here for an example Red Flag Warning from WFO Wakefield, VA.
Click here for an example of a Spot Forecast from WFO Wakefield, VA
Click here for an example of a Point Forecast from WFO Wakefield, VA

For real time forecasts and spot forecasts click on the following link:

Spot Forecast Page

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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

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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

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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). (TOP)

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.

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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.

Transports Winds: +/- 5 mph and/or 45 degrees.

Mixing Height: +/- 300 m or 984 ft.

Dispersion: One category of change.

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