Submitted by Coast Guard Navigation Center

In coordination with the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the U.S. Coast Guard is pleased to announce the addition of a new Hazardous Weather Outlook (HWO) service that covers the Eastern Pacific Ocean.  This service is available to all those who could benefit from advanced warning of hazardous weather in both coastal regions and open waters. As with the currently available Western Atlantic Hazardous Weather Outlook, Seven Day HWO’s will be released every Wednesday with additional Situational HWO’s issued as conditions require. The service will begin on April 6^th of this year. However, you can sign up in advance at any time.

In the recent past, several maritime tragedies and “near misses” in the coastal waters of the United States have occurred due to hazardous weather, such as the sinking of the SS El Faro in 2015. Based on recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in cooperation with the NWS and the United States Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN), developing improved methods of delivering Marine Safety Information remain a top priority. 

The NWS Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) and the NHC’s Tropical and Analysis Forecast Branch (TAFB) will be providing weekly and situational reports to the USCG, who will then be making this information available to the public. Through the free online subscription service GovDelivery, which currently offers subscribers a wide array of Marine Safety Information such as Broadcast Notice to Mariners (BNMs) and Local Notice to Mariners (LNMs) provided through USCG NAVCEN, users will be able to register to receive Hazardous Weather Outlook reports giving forewarning of major weather events.

For subscribing to Eastern Pacific Hazardous Weather Outlook reports by e-mail:
<https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDHSCG_506>

For subscribing to Eastern Pacific Hazardous Weather Outlook reports by RSS Feed:
<https://public.govdelivery.com/topics/USDHSCG_506/feed.rss>

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official publications, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These publications remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.