Marine Forecast Offices and Centers provide links to their products as well as additional regionally focused information.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARINE PRODUCTS VIA EMWIN

EMWIN, the Emergency Managers Weather Information Network, is now evolving into a fully operational and supported NWS service, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other public and private organizations.

EMWIN is a suite of methods of making available a live datastream of basic text and graphic weather data, and providing access to stored sets of basic unenhanced data, using a variety of techniques and technologies. Each method has advantages and disadvantages over the others, hence this multilayered approach to enable multiple methods of availability. The EMWIN datastream includes virtually all NWS products which are of potential interest to mariners. EMWIN systems can also be programmed to sound an alarm in cases of severe weather. EMWIN's present methods in use or under development for disseminating the basic EMWIN datastream include:

Radio    -- limited number cooperative VHF/UHF stations
Internet -- http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/main.html or FTP download
Satellite -- GOES 8, GOES 9, etc.

Regrettably, radio broadcast of EMWIN via VHF/UHF to coastal areas is virtually nonexistent at the current time. Cooperative arrangements with private and public organizations are being established to promote growth of a nationwide VHF/UHF EMWIN network. Direct Internet access is also problematic for mariners at sea. EMWIN reception via the current GOES satellite network is technically challenging for ships as a directional antenna is required.

Visit the EMWIN webpage for the latest information on commercially available equipment and software for EMWIN reception. The EMWIN service is free of charge.

EMWIN's greatest immediate potential for mariners is for those having access to the Internet which could include shoreside establishments such as yacht clubs, marinas, fire, police and Coast Guard stations.