VIII. PROGRAMMING YOUR WX-80
, Continued
Setting the Backlight, Continued
store the selection and set mode to operate. The
current alert status (WEATHER ALRT ON or
WEATHER ALRT OFF) appears.
Understanding SAME Geographic Codes
NOTE: In the following text, SAME Geographic Codes
are also known as FIPS Codes.
The National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began
broadcasting coded weather alert signals able to
identify specific areas where the weather emergency
is forecasted to occur. These Specific Area codes are
called FIPS (Federal Information Processing System)
codes. A unique FIPS code is assigned to every county
or parish throughout the United States and all US
territories.
Example: The 6-digit FIPS code to identify Kansas City,
Missouri (Jackson County) is 029095.
The first digit in a FIPS code identifies the county
subdivision, used only for extremely large counties or
counties with geographically unusual shapes such as
a long, narrow county. The next two digits identify the
state, and the last three digits identify the county or
parish.
15