Marine Bulletins (USA)

IMPORTANT: The Marine Zone Forecast requires an Internet connection. It is not possible to cache the data like it is for weather forecast. The Marine Bulletins feature requires a subscription to the Premium Weather service (please refer to Subscriptions) and is only available in the USA at this time.

Marine Forecasts are designed to provide you with comprehensive text bulletins, offering a significant advantage over traditional model forecasts. These bulletins are crafted by seasoned meteorologists from NOAA who analyze weather patterns and identify potential hazards, ensuring that you receive information that is both precise and actionable. Marine Forecast bulletins may also include specialized sections for alerts and tropical storms, providing timely warnings that are crucial for planning and response strategies.

To display the Marine Forecast Zones layer tap on the “Layers” button located on the bottom right of your screen and select "Marine Forecast Zone" from the “Other Layers” section:

Marine Bulletins are organized into specific zones covering all U.S. territorial waters, each with a unique code name:

Zones which have an active alert are filled with a specific color depending on the severity:

  1. Orange: minor severity
  2. Red: moderate severity
  3. Dark Red: extreme severity

To display the Marine Bulletin, tap inside an area and select "Show Marine Forecast" from the pop-up menu. The text bulletin will appear from the bottom or side of your screen according to your device (iPad or iPhone):

 

When an alert is active in the zone, the panel title becomes red, and the number of alerts is displayed next to it. An alert usually provides the following information: 

  • Severity of the alert, for example [Minor]
  • Type of the alert, for example “Small Craft Advisory”, “Gale Watch”
  • Issuance date of the alert
  • End date of the alert
  • Issuer of the alert, for example “NWS Houston/Galveston TX”
  • "What", "Where", and "When

To notify the user of a potential danger (even when the Marine Zones are not displayed on screen), TZ iBoat  will trigger an alarm based on the GPS position when entering a zone with an active alert or when the current zone status changes. The alarm is enabled by default and can be disabled from the Alarms Settings under "Marine Forecast Alarm".