Fire Weather Forecast Area

Forecast areas are tied to the "radar umbrella" of the WSR-88D Doppler Radar. The umbrella is the area which is covered by the radar volume scan. What this means is that forecasts are not bound by state political borders, although county borders are generally observed. The Georgia forecast areas are each covered by a different NWS office.

The counties covered by the WFO FFC (Peachtree City) include:

Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Dodge, Dooly, Douglas, Emanuel, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, Meriwether, Montgomery, Monroe, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Rockdale, Schley, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Telfair, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson

The counties covered by the WFO TAE (Tallahassee) include:

Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Colquitt, Cook, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Irwin, Lanier, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Worth

The counties covered by the WFO JAX (Jacksonville) include:

Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Pierce, Ware, Wayne

The counties covered by the WFO CHS (Charleston) include:

Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Jenkins, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Screven, Tattnall

The counties covered by the WFO GSP (Greenville-Spartanburg) include:

Elbert, Franklin, Habersham, Hart, Rabun, Stephens

The counties covered by the WFO CAE (Columbia) include:

Burke, Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond

National Weather Service Headquarters

NWS Headquarters, located in Silver Spring, Maryland, establishes policies and coordinates the national fire weather program. The national program manager coordinates the program with the regional program managers. The national program manager also works with the national headquarters of the Federal forestry and land management agencies and the Association of State Foresters in determining overall forestry and land management requirements for meteorological support. The national program manager coordinates national training in forestry and fire weather for NWS forecasters.

National Weather Service Regional Headquarters

Regional Headquarters manage the technical operational aspects of the fire weather program within each region. They also provide guidance and assistance to meteorologists-in-charge (MIC) on program operations and problems through Supplements to Directives and conferences. Regional Headquarters advise National Headquarters on matters pertaining to technical planning and operations. The regional program managers coordinate the regions' fire weather programs and advise the Regional Directors on the operational and administrative aspects of the regions' programs.

Weather Forecast Office (WFO)

Weather Forecast Offices prepare and disseminate forecast products for all sectors of the population, including those for the Fire Weather program. These offices are responsible for providing forecasts for user agencies within their County Warning and Forecast Area (CWFA). Most offices have a designated fire weather focal point or fire weather program leader. The National Weather Service Warning and Forecast Offices in Georgia will provide 24-hour, 365 days a year service. The NWS can be reached at:

National Weather Service
4 Falcon Drive
Peachtree City, GA 30269
770-486-1133

National Weather Service
Love Building
Florida State University
116 Palmetto Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32306
850-942-8833

National Weather Service
13701 Fang Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32218
904-741-4370

National Weather Service
5777 South Aviation Avenue
Charleston, South Carolina 29406
843-744-0303

National Weather Service
2909 Aviation Way
West Columbia, South Carolina 29170
803-822-8135

National Weather Service
1549 GSP Drive
Greer, South Carolina 29651
864-848-3859

Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC)

The MIC is responsible for the provision of adequate forestry and fire weather services for the office's assigned area of program responsibility. The MIC will ensure that the focal point or program leader is provided adequate time for user liaison and assistance activities.

Lans P. Rothfusz, Peachtree City, GA

Paul Duval, Tallahassee, FL

Stephen Letro, Jacksonville, FL

Michael Emlaw, Charleston, SC

Kim Campbell, Columbia, SC

Larry Gabric, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

Program Leader

Fire weather program leaders are the "customer service representatives" for the program. The program leader, as the representative of the MIC, is in regular contact with land management agencies, helping them assess their meteorological needs, informing them of NWS products and services available to meet these needs, and educating them in the most effective use of the various NWS products and resources, including NOAA Weather Radio (NWR). Program leaders will work with users to utilize existing NWS products and services produced for other programs that could meet the requirements of wildland management. The program leaders are also tasked with ensuring staff meteorologists are trained and remain proficient in preparing forecast products for support of the fire weather program.

Brian D. Lynn, Peachtree City, GA

Tim Barry, Tallahassee, FL

Marie Trabert, Jacksonville, FL

Bob Bright, Charleston, SC

Mike Proud, Columbia, SC

John Tomko, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

NOTE: Unlisted telephone numbers used for coordination cannot be listed here. All user agencies have been or will be provided voice and fax numbers to be used for official purposes only.

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