367 NOUS41 KWBC 151835 AAA PNSWSH Public Information Statement 26-16 Updated National Weather Service Headquarters Silver Spring MD 235 PM EDT Wed Apr 15 2026 TO: Subscribers: -NOAA Weather Wire Service -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network -NOAAPORT Other NWS partners and NWS employees FROM: Kevin Stone, Team Lead Aviation Weather Services SUBJECT: Updated: Soliciting Comments on Transition of Reference Points in Aviation Weather Products through May 15, 2026 Updated to extend the comment period and clarify the proposed change includes Alaska. The National Weather Service (NWS) is soliciting comments through May 15, 2026 on the proposed transition of plotting reference points from Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) to three-letter FAA airport identifiers on Aviation Weather Products. The following NWS products will be affected by the proposed change: SIGMET, AIRMET, Center Weather Advisory, Meteorological Impact Statement. This proposal would affect NWS products over the Contiguous United States (CONUS) and Alaska. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is transitioning the National Airspace System (NAS) to Performance Based Navigation (PBN). As a result, VOR infrastructure is being repurposed to provide a conventional backup navigation service during potential Global Positioning System (GPS) outages. This backup infrastructure is known as the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON). Currently, many NWS aviation weather products use VORs as reference points to identify hazardous weather areas. Due to the VOR MON transition, the number of reference points is being reduced, impacting the ability to adequately describe the hazard areas. Future products will use three-letter airport identifiers as reference points for depicting hazardous weather areas. SIGMET current example using VOR reference points: WSUS32 KKCI 221455 MKCE WST 221455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 20E VALID UNTIL 1655Z ME MA NH CSTL WTRS FROM 140SE BGR-100ESE ACK-50SE ACK-110ESE ENE-140SE BGR AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 22045KT. TOPS TO FL290. CONVECTIVE SIGMET 21E VALID UNTIL 1655Z ME MA NH RI CT AND ME MA NH CSTL WTRS FROM 60N ENE-30SSW BGR-40SE BOS-30SE BDL-60N ENE AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 21045KT. TOPS TO FL280. CONVECTIVE SIGMET 22E VALID UNTIL 1655Z VT NY FROM 50N MPV-40S MPV-50N ALB-40E MSS-50N MPV AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 20045KT. TOPS TO FL260. CONVECTIVE SIGMET 23E VALID UNTIL 1655Z MA NY FROM 60N ALB-20ESE ALB-20SW ALBB-40ENE SYR-60N ALB AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 22045KT. TOPS TO FL260. CONVECTIVE SIGMET 24E VALID UNTIL 1655Z NY PA LE FROM 20SE BUF-20N ERI LINE EMBD TS 30 NM WIDE MOV FROM 26025KT. TOPS TO FL240. OUTLOOK VALID 221655-222055 AREA 1...FROM 40NW MLT-60WSW YSJ-190SSE ACK-190SSE HTO-ACK-ALB-MSS-90S YQB-40NW MLT WST ISSUANCES POSS. REFER TO MOST RECENT ACUS01 KWNS FROM STORM PREDICTION CENTER FOR SYNOPSIS AND METEOROLOGICAL DETAILS. AREA 2...FROM 50SE SSM-60NE ASP-30NE ECK-30ESE DXO-MSS-30SE SYR-60WSW HNK-EWX-50NNW APE-60NNE FWA-40ENE MKG-50SE SSM WST ISSUANCES POSS. REFER TO MOST RECENT ACUS01 KWNS FROM STORM PREDICTION CENTER FOR SYNOPSIS AND METEOROLOGICAL DETAILS. SIGMET new example using airport code reference points: WSUS32 KKCI 221455 MKCE WST 221455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 20E VALID UNTIL 1655Z ME MA NH CSTL WTRS FROM 120S EPM-100ESE ACK-50SE ACK-100SE PWM-120S EPM AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 22045KT. TOPS TO FL290. CONVECTIVE SIGMET 21E VALID UNTIL 1655Z ME MA NH RI CT AND ME MA NH CSTL WTRS FROM 30ESE BML-30SSW BGR-40SE BOS-30SE BDL-30ESE BML AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 21045KT. TOPS TO FL280. CONVECTIVE SIGMET 22E VALID UNTIL 1655Z VT NY FROM 40NE BTV-50WNW CON-50N ALB-40NW BTV-40NE BTV AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 20045KT. TOPS TO FL260. CONVECTIVE SIGMET 23E VALID UNTIL 1655Z MA NY FROM 60SW BTV-20ESE ALB 20SW-ALB-40ENE SYR-60SW BTV AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 22045KT. TOPS TO FL260. CONVECTIVE SIGMET 24E VALID UNTIL 1655Z NY PA LE FROM 20ESE BQR-20NNW ERI LINE EMBD TS 30 NM WIDE MOV FROM 26025KT. TOPS TO FL240. OUTLOOK VALID 221655-222055 AREA 1...FROM 40NW MLT-60WSW YSJ-190SE ACK-190SSE HTO-ACK-ALB-MSS-90S YQB-40NW MLT WST ISSUANCES POSS. REFER TO MOST RECENT ACUS01 KWNS FROM STORM PREDICTION CENTER FOR SYNOPSIS AND METEOROLOGICAL DETAILS. AREA 2...FROM 50SE ANJ-60NE OSC-40NNE PHN-30ESE DTW-MSS-OIC-50NW AVP-PJC-50SE TOL-50WNW TOL-50W MBS-50SE ANJ WST ISSUANCES POSS. REFER TO MOST RECENT ACUS01 KWNS FROM STORM PREDICTION CENTER FOR SYNOPSIS AND METEOROLOGICAL DETAILS. Please direct comments on this change to: Jonathan Leffler Chief, Aviation Operations Branch Aviation Weather Center Kansas City, MO 64153 Phone: 816-584-7239 Email: Jonathan.Leffler@noaa.gov NWS Service Change Notices are online at: https://www.weather.gov/notification/  921 NOUS41 KWBC 151855 AAA PNSWSH Service Change Notice 26-39 Updated National Weather Service Headquarters Silver Spring MD 255 PM EDT Wed Apr 15 2026 To: Subscribers -NOAA Weather Wire Service -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network -NOAAPort Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees From: Clinton Wallace Director, Space Weather Prediction Center Subject: Updated: Termination of the GEOALERT report at the National Weather Service (NWS) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) effective on or about May 19, 2026. Updated to correct the effective date in the subject line. On or about May 19, 2026, the NWS SWPC will terminate the GEOALERT report (https://www.spaceweather.gov/products/geoalert- alerts-analysis-and-forecast-codes ). The GEOALERT is a final daily report that compiles observed space weather conditions, sunspot data, and a one-day forecast as a coded message. The data provided in the GEOALERT are still gathered from space weather centers around the world, but are no longer required by the International Space Environment Service, as more detailed information is now available in the NWS SWPC 3-day Forecast (https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/3-day-forecast). Additionally, observed solar-geophysical indices can be found in the Solar and Geophysical Activity Summary (https://www.spaceweather.gov/products/solar-and-geophysical- activity-summary ), while sunspot data and regional forecasts are provided in the Solar Region Summary (https://www.spaceweather.gov/products/solar-region-summary ). For questions and comments, please contact: Manasi Gopala Senior Software Developer NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center Boulder, CO Email: manasi.gopala@noaa.gov and Mike Bettwy Operations Chief NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center Boulder, CO Email: michael.bettwy@noaa.gov National Service Change Notices are online at: https://www.weather.gov/notification/