Where NOAA Weather Radio's NWR-SAME Event Codes Are Defined

The public list of every current NWR-SAME event code is published by the National Weather Service at weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes, and the rules governing how those codes are formatted and used are set out in a separate document: National Weather Service Instruction 10-1712, dated April 20, 2022 (https://www.weather.gov/media/directives/010_pdfs/pd01017012curr.pdf). A NOAA Weather Radio uses this three-letter code, known as an NWR-SAME event code, to identify the type of alert being broadcast (https://www.weather.gov/media/directives/010_pdfs/pd01017012curr.pdf).

This original record-reading guide is a general reading aid, not cited evidence. It does not depict a source record; the article text and source links provide the facts.

Key points

• The public code list lives at weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes, organized into three tables — Weather-Related Events, Non-Weather-Related Events, and Administrative Events. (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes)
• Every code on that page is currently active: “All of the codes below are operational.” (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes)
• Broadcasters are not required to relay every code: “It is optional for broadcasters to activate EAS for these events.” (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes)
• The governing directive is “NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INSTRUCTION 10-1712,” titled “NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS (NWR) SPECIFIC AREA MESSAGE ENCODING (SAME),” dated “APRIL 20, 2022” (https://www.weather.gov/media/directives/010_pdfs/pd01017012curr.pdf).
• The third letter of most hazardous state/local codes is limited to W, A, E, or S, with three named exceptions: TOR, SVR, and EVI. (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes)

The public code list

The National Weather Service’s code page at weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes presents the current NWR-SAME codes in three tables, each using the same three column headers: “EAS Event (NWR-SAME) Codes,” “NWR-SAME Code,” and “Status” (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes). The three tables are labeled “Weather-Related Events,” “Non-Weather-Related Events,” and “Administrative Events” (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes).

Every row on the page carries the same status confirmation: “All of the codes below are operational.” (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes)

The page also states plainly that relaying these codes through the Emergency Alert System is not mandatory for every broadcaster: “It is optional for broadcasters to activate EAS for these events.” (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes)

The governing directive: NWS Instruction 10-1712

The rules behind the code list — its format and its use — come from a distinct document, not the code page itself. That document identifies itself as “NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INSTRUCTION 10-1712,” carrying the title “NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS (NWR) SPECIFIC AREA MESSAGE ENCODING (SAME),” dated “APRIL 20, 2022” (https://www.weather.gov/media/directives/010_pdfs/pd01017012curr.pdf).

The directive names its own administrative provenance: “OPR: W/DSB (C. Hodan),” “Certified by: W/DIS (S. Keveney),” and “Type of Issuance: Routine” (https://www.weather.gov/media/directives/010_pdfs/pd01017012curr.pdf).

It also states its scope directly: “This instruction describes the format and use of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) in support of the National Weather Service (NWS) mission ‘to protect life and property and to enhance the national economy.’” It further states, “This instruction also covers NWS organizational responsibilities for SAME.” (https://www.weather.gov/media/directives/010_pdfs/pd01017012curr.pdf)

Directive edition history

The April 20, 2022 edition is not the first version of this directive — it replaced an earlier one. The directive states this directly: “This directive supersedes NWSI 10-1712, NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME), dated October 3, 2011.” (https://www.weather.gov/media/directives/010_pdfs/pd01017012curr.pdf)

Third-letter naming rule

Beyond the format-and-use scope the directive states for itself, the NWS code page separately documents a specific naming convention for hazardous codes. As the code page states: “In most cases, and for all future codes to be approved, the third letter of all hazardous state and local event codes is limited to one of four letters:” — “W for Warnings,” “A for Watches,” “E for Emergencies,” and “S for Statements.” (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes)

Three existing codes were left as-is when this convention was adopted: “The existing event codes for Tornado Warning (TOR), Severe Thunderstorm Warning (SVR) and Evacuation Immediate (EVI) will not be changed to conform to this naming convention.” (https://www.weather.gov/nwr/eventcodes)

What this article does not answer

This article identifies where the NWR-SAME code list and its governing rules are published; it does not explain how to program any particular NOAA Weather Radio receiver to use those codes. It also does not settle whether a broadcaster will actually relay any given code — activating the Emergency Alert System for state and local event codes is optional for broadcasters, not required. It makes no claim about which authority holds alerting responsibility in any specific jurisdiction, and it contains no protective-action guidance or danger assessment of any kind. Finally, this article relies only on the NWS sources cited above and does not attempt to independently verify this naming convention against any other regulatory text.

Source links

• NWS NWR-SAME Event Codes List
• NWS Instruction 10-1712 — NWR Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME)