Hazardous Wildfire Conditions (Dissolved Polygons)

This nowCOAST™ time-enabled map service provides maps depicting the geographic coverage of the latest NOAA/National Weather Service (NWS) WATCHES, WARNINGS, ADVISORIES, and STATEMENTS for long-duration hazardous weather, marine weather, hydrological, oceanographic, wildfire, air quality, and ecological conditions which may or are presently affecting inland, coastal, and maritime areas. A few examples include Gale Watch, Gale Warning, High Surf Advisory, High Wind Watch, Areal Flood Warning, Coastal Flood Watch, Winter Storm Warning, Wind Chill Advisory, Frost Advisory, Tropical Storm Watch, Red Flag Warning, Air Stagnation Warning, and Beach Hazards Statement. (A complete list is given in the Background Information section below.) The coverage areas of these products are usually defined by county or sub-county boundaries. The colors used to identify the different watches, advisories, warnings, and statements are the same colors used by the NWS on their map at weather.gov. The NWS products for long-duration hazardous conditions are updated in the nowCOAST map service approximately every 10 minutes. For more detailed information about the update schedule, please see: http://new.nowcoast.noaa.gov/help/#section=updateschedule.

The coverage areas of these products are usually defined by county or sub-county boundaries, but for simplicity and performance reasons, adjacent WWAs of the same type, issuance, and expiration are depicted in this service as unified (merged/dissolved) polygons in the layers indicated with the suffix "(Dissolved Polygons)". However, a set of equivalent layers containing the original individual zone geometries are also included for querying purposes, and are indicated with the suffix "(Zone Polygons)". Corresponding zone polygon and dissolved polygon layers are matched together in group layers for each WWA category. The zone polygon layers are included in this service only to support query/identify operations (e.g., in order to retrieve the original zone geometry or other attributes such as a URL to the warning text bulletin) and thus will not be drawn when included in a normal map image request. Thus, the dissolved polygon layers should be used when requesting a map image (e.g. WMS GetMap or ArcGIS REST export operations), while the zone polygon layers should be used when performing a query (e.g. WMS GetFeatureInfo or ArcGIS REST query or identify operations).

The colors used to identify the different watches, advisories, warnings, and statements are the same colors used by the NWS on their map at http://www.weather.gov. The NWS products for long-duration hazardous conditions are updated in the nowCOAST™ map service approximately every 10 minutes. For more detailed information about layer update frequency and timing, please reference the nowCOAST™ Dataset Update Schedule.

NWS watches depict the geographic areas where the risk of hazardous weather or hydrologic events has increased significantly, but their occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain. A warning depicts where a hazardous weather or hydrologic event is occurring, is imminent, or has a very high probability of occurring. A warning is used for conditions posing a threat to life or property. Advisories indicate where special weather conditions are occurring, imminent, or have a very high probability of occurring but are less serious than a warning. They are for events that may cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property. Statements usually contain updated information on a warning and are used to let the public know when a warning is no longer in effect. NWS issues over 75 different types of watches, warnings, and advisories (WWAs). WWAs are issued by the NWS regional Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and also the NWS Ocean Prediction Center, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and Storm Prediction Center.

The NWS WWAs are organized on the nowCOAST™ map viewer and within this map service by hazardous condition/threat layer groups and then by the geographic area (i.e. coastal & inland, immediate coast or maritime) for which the WWA product is targeted. This was done to allow users to select WWAs for hazardous conditions that are important to their operations or activities.

Please note that the Tropical Storm and Hurricane Warnings are provided in both the High Wind Hazards: Maritime Areas and Coastal & Inland Areas layer groups and the Flooding Hazards: Coastal Areas layer group. These warnings are included in the Flooding Hazards/Coastal Areas layer group because the NWS uses those warnings to inform the public that tropical storm or hurricane winds may be accompanied by significant coastal flooding but below the thresholds required for the issuance of a storm surge warning. In addition, a tropical storm or hurricane warning may remain in effect when dangerously high water or a combination of dangerously high water and waves continue, even though the winds may be less than hurricane or tropical storm force. The NWS does not issue a Coastal Flood Warning or Advisory when a tropical storm or hurricane warning is in effect; however that does not mean that there is not a significant coastal flooding threat.

• High Wind Hazards (Associated with Non-Tropical & Tropical Cyclones)
  • Maritime Areas
    • Brisk Wind Advisory
    • Small Craft Advisory
    • Small Craft Advisory for Winds
    • Gale Watch
    • Gale Warning
    • Storm Watch
    • Storm Warning
    • Hurricane Force Wind Watch
    • Hurricane Force Wind Warning
    • Tropical Storm Watch
    • Tropical Storm Warning
    • Hurricane Watch
    • Hurricane Warning
  • Coastal & Inland Areas
    • High Wind Watch
    • Wind Advisory
    • Lake Wind Advisory
    • High Wind Warning
    • Tropical Storm Watch
    • Tropical Storm Warning
    • Hurricane Watch
    • Hurricane Warning
• Hazardous Seas, Surf, and Beach Conditions
  • Maritime Areas
    • Small Craft Advisory for Hazardous Seas
    • Small Craft Advisory for Rough Bar
    • Hazardous Seas Watch
    • Hazardous Seas Warning
  • Immediate Coast
    • Beach Hazards Statement
    • High Surf Advisory
    • High Surf Warning
    • Low Water Advisory
    • Rip Current Statement
• Flooding Hazards
  • Coastal Areas
    • Coastal Flood Statement
    • Coastal Flood Watch
    • Coastal Flood Advisory
    • Coastal Flood Warning
    • Lakeshore Flood Watch
    • Lakeshore Flood Advisory
    • Lakeshore Flood Warning
    • Lakeshore Flood Statement
    • Storm Surge Watch
    • Storm Surge Warning
    • Tsunami Watch
    • Tsunami Warning
    • Tropical Storm Warning
    • Hurricane Warning
  • Inland Areas
    • Flood Watch (Point) (also called River Flood Watch)
    • Flood Watch (Areal)
    • Flood Advisory (Point) (also called River Flood Advisory)
    • Flood Advisory (Areal)
    • Flood Warning (Point) (also called River Flood Warning)
    • Flood Warning (Areal)
    • Hydrologic Outlook
    • Hydrologic Statement
• Reduced Visibility Hazards
  • Maritime Areas
    • Dense Fog Advisory
  • Coastal & Inland Areas
    • Ashfall Advisory
    • Ashfall Warning
    • Blowing Dust Advisory
    • Blowing Dust Warning
    • Dense Fog Advisory
    • Dense Smoke Advisory
• Freezing Spray Hazards
  • Maritime Areas
    • Heavy Freezing Spray Watch
    • Freezing Spray Advisory
    • Heavy Freezing Spray Advisory
• Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain, and Freezing Fog Hazards
  • Coastal & Inland Areas
    • Blizzard Watch
    • Blizzard Warning
    • Freezing Fog Advisory
    • Freezing Rain Advisory
    • Ice Storm Warning
    • Lake-Effect Snow Watch
    • Lake-Effect Snow Advisory
    • Lake-Effect Snow Warning
    • Winter Storm Watch
    • Winter Weather Advisory
    • Winter Storm Warning
• Cold and Heat Hazards
  • Coastal & Inland Areas
    • Excessive Cold Watch
    • Excessive Cold Warning
    • Excessive Heat Watch
    • Heat Advisory
    • Excessive Heat Warning
    • Frost Advisory
    • Freeze Watch
    • Freeze Warning
    • Wind Chill Advisory
    • Wind Chill Warning
• Critical Wildfire Conditions
  • Coastal & Inland Areas
    • Fire Weather Watch
    • Red Flag Warning
• Unhealthy Air Quality
  • Coastal & Inland Areas
    • Air Stagnation Advisory
    • Air Quality Alerts from states are NOT available

For descriptions of individual NWS watches, warnings, and advisories please see Section 2 of the NWS Reference Guide available at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/guide/Section2.pdf.

This map service is time-enabled, meaning that each individual layer contains time-varying data and can be utilized by clients capable of making map requests that include a time component.

In addition to ArcGIS Server REST access, time-enabled OGC WMS 1.3.0 access is also provided by this service.

This particular service can be queried with or without the use of a time component. If the time parameter is specified in a request, the data or imagery most relevant to the provided time value, if any, will be returned. If the time parameter is not specified in a request, the latest data or imagery valid for the present system time will be returned to the client. If the time parameter is not specified and no data or imagery is available for the present time, no data will be returned.

This service is configured with time coverage support, meaning that the service will always return the most relevant available data, if any, to the specified time value. For example, if the service contains data valid today at 12:00 and 12:10 UTC, but a map request specifies a time value of today at 12:07 UTC, the data valid at 12:10 UTC will be returned to the user. This behavior allows more flexibility for users, especially when displaying multiple time-enabled layers together despite slight differences in temporal resolution or update frequency.

When interacting with this time-enabled service, only a single instantaneous time value should be specified in each request. If instead a time range is specified in a request (i.e. separate start time and end time values are given), the data returned may be different than what was intended.

Care must be taken to ensure the time value specified in each request falls within the current time coverage of the service. Because this service is frequently updated as new data becomes available, the user must periodically determine the service's time extent. However, due to software limitations, the time extent of the service and map layers as advertised by ArcGIS Server does not always provide the most up-to-date start and end times of available data. Instead, users have three options for determining the latest time extent of the service:

1. Issue a returnUpdates=true request (ArcGIS REST protocol only) for an individual layer or for the service itself, which will return the current start and end times of available data, in epoch time format (milliseconds since 00:00 January 1, 1970). To see an example, click on the "Return Updates" link at the bottom of the REST Service page under "Supported Operations". Refer to the ArcGIS REST API Map Service Documentation for more information.
2. Issue an Identify (ArcGIS REST) or GetFeatureInfo (WMS) request against the proper layer corresponding with the target dataset. For raster data, this would be the "Image Footprints with Time Attributes" layer in the same group as the target "Image" layer being displayed. For vector (point, line, or polygon) data, the target layer can be queried directly. In either case, the attributes returned for the matching raster(s) or vector feature(s) will include the following:
   • validtime: Valid timestamp.
   • starttime: Display start time.
   • endtime: Display end time.
   • reftime: Reference time (sometimes referred to as issuance time, cycle time, or initialization time).
   • projmins: Number of minutes from reference time to valid time.
   • desigreftime: Designated reference time; used as a common reference time for all items when individual reference times do not match.
   • desigprojmins: Number of minutes from designated reference time to valid time.
3. Query the nowCOAST™ LayerInfo web service, which has been created to provide additional information about each data layer in a service, including a list of all available "time stops" (i.e. "valid times"), individual timestamps, or the valid time of a layer's latest available data (i.e. "Product Time"). For more information about the LayerInfo web service, including examples of various types of requests, refer to the nowCOAST™ LayerInfo Help Documentation

• NWS, 2006: NWS Instructions 10-313, WFO Severe Weather Products Specification, NWS, Silver Spring, MD.
• NWS, 2007: NWS Instructions 10-320, Coastal/Lakeshore Hazard Services, NWS, Silver Spring, MD.
• NWS, 2007: NWS Instructions 10-922, Weather Forecast Office Hydrologic Products Specification, NWS, Silver Spring, MD.
• NWS, 2008: NWS Instructions 10-301, Marine and Coastal Services Abbreviations and Definitions, NWS, Silver Spring, MD.
• NWS, 2010: NWS Instructions 10-519, WFO Air Quality Products Specification, NWS, Silver Spring, MD.
• NWS, 2011: NWS Products and Services Reference Guidebook, NWS/Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services, Silver Spring, MD.
• NWS, 2012: NWS Policy Directive 10-3, Marine and Coastal Weather Services, NWS, Silver Spring, MD.
• NWS, 2012: NWS Instructions 10-701, Tsunami Warning Center Operations, NWS, Silver Spring, MD.
• NWS, 2013: NWS Instructions 10-601, Tropical Cyclone Products, NWS, Silver Spring, MD.
• NWS, 2012: NWS Instructions 10-701, Tsunami Warning Center Operations, NWS, Silver Spring, MD.

NWS Instructions and other directives are available at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/.