-------- Original Message --------
962
NOUS41 KWBC 281549
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...COMMENT REQUEST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1050 AM EST THU FEB 28 2008
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-FAMILY OF SERVICES
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
OTHER NWS PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: ELI JACKS
CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT: CURRENTLY SOLICITING PUBLIC COMMENTS BY APRIL 8 2008
REGARDING A PROPOSED RESTRUCTURING OF SOME NWS WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY AND WARNING PRODUCTS
EFFECTIVE MONDAY SEPTEMBER 1 2008 AT 0001 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL
TIME /UTC/ NWS PROPOSES TO CHANGE THE SUITE OF PRODUCTS USED TO
ADVISE AND WARN PARTNERS AND THE PUBLIC OF SIGNIFICANT WINTER
WEATHER. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROPOSED CHANGE IS TO SIMPLIFY AND
CLARIFY THE COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF EXPECTED WINTER
WEATHER HAZARDS.
FEEDBACK FROM MANY OF OUR PARTNERS AND PUBLIC USERS OVER THE PAST
3 YEARS...COMBINED WITH INPUT FROM NWS FIELD MANAGERS AND
FORECASTERS...STRONGLY SUGGESTS SERVICE CAN BE IMPROVED BY REDUCING
THE NUMBER OF SPECIFIC WINTER WEATHER WARNING AND ADVISORY
PRODUCTS. THIS PROPOSED REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF PRODUCTS WOULD
ENHANCE THE CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY OF NWS WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS.
ALSO THE GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF FORECAST WINTER WEATHER HAZARDS VIA
THE NWS HOME PAGE AND OTHER GRAPHICAL MEANS WOULD BE MORE
UNDERSTANDABLE.
THE PROPOSED RESTRUCTURING OF NWS WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS WOULD BE
ACCOMPLISHED BY COMBINING A NUMBER OF CURRENT ADVISORY AND WARNING
CATEGORIES WITH SIMILAR IMPACTS. FOR EXAMPLE...CONDITIONS THAT
CURRENTLY PROMPT THE ISSUANCE OF SEPARATE WINTER WEATHER...
SNOW...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...SLEET...AND/OR BLOWING SNOW
ADVISORIES WOULD BE ISSUED...AND VTEC-CODED...AS WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORIES. SIMILARLY CONDITIONS THAT CURRENTLY PROMPT THE ISSUANCE
OF SEPARATE WINTER STORM... HEAVY SNOW... AND/OR SLEET WARNINGS
WOULD BE ISSUED...AND VTEC-CODED...AS WINTER STORM WARNINGS. THE
NWS WOULD DISCONTINUE USE OF THE VTEC CODES ASSOCIATED WITH THE
DISCONTINUED ADVISORY AND WARNING PRODUCTS.
FREEZING RAIN...LAKE EFFECT SNOW...AND WIND CHILL ADVISORIES WOULD
STILL BE ISSUED DUE TO THE SEVERITY AND UNIQUENESS OF THEIR
IMPACTS. SIMILARLY...BLIZZARD...ICE STORM...LAKE EFFECT SNOW...AND
WIND CHILL WARNINGS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED.
AS ALWAYS SPECIFIC INFORMATION RELATING TO THE TYPE OF HAZARD WOULD
BE CLEARLY DEPICTED IN THE BODY OF THE ADVISORY OR WARNING PRODUCT.
NO SOFTWARE CHANGES BY NWS PARTNERS OR USERS ARE ANTICIPATED AS A
RESULT OF THIS PROPOSED CHANGE.
THE FOLLOWING TABLES SHOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CURRENT AND
PROPOSED ADVISORY AND WARNING CATEGORIES:
TABLE 1 - WINTER ADVISORIES
CURRENT WINTER ADVISORIES PROPOSED WINTER ADVISORIES
FREEZING RAIN ------------------ FREEZING RAIN
LAKE EFFECT SNOW --------------- LAKE EFFECT SNOW
WIND CHILL --------------------- WIND CHILL
WINTER WEATHER ----------------- WINTER WEATHER
SNOW --------------------------- WINTER WEATHER
SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ---------- WINTER WEATHER
SLEET -------------------------- WINTER WEATHER
BLOWING SNOW ------------------- WINTER WEATHER
TABLE 2 - WINTER WARNINGS
CURRENT WINTER WARNINGS PROPOSED WINTER WARNINGS
BLIZZARD ----------------------- BLIZZARD
ICE STORM ---------------------- ICE STORM
LAKE EFFECT SNOW --------------- LAKE EFFECT SNOW
WIND CHILL --------------------- WIND CHILL
WINTER STORM ------------------- WINTER STORM
HEAVY SNOW --------------------- WINTER STORM
SLEET -------------------------- WINTER STORM
A GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF TABLES 1 AND 2 AND EXAMPLES OF HOW
ADVISORY AND WARNING PRODUCTS WILL BE FORMATTED AS A RESULT OF THIS
PROPOSED CHANGE CAN BE FOUND AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OS/WINTER/RESOURCES/WSW_EX.PDF
THE NWS WELCOMES PARTNER AND PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING THIS
PROPOSED CHANGE. PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS /WITH THE SUBJECT LINE:
COMMENTS ON PROPOSED WINTER WEATHER SIMPLIFICATION/ TO:
ELLIOTT.JACKS@xxxxxxxx
AFTER A REVIEW OF ALL COMMENTS...THE NWS WILL DECIDE BY MAY 1 2008
WHETHER OR NOT TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROPOSED CHANGE.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE
ISSUANCE AND DISSEMINATION OF WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND
WARNINGS...PLEASE CONTACT:
PAUL STOKOLS
FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
SILVER SPRING MD 20910
301-713-1867 EXT. 139
PAUL.STOKOLS@xxxxxxxx
OR THE WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST /WCM/ AT YOUR LOCAL
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE.
NATIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT
/USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
$$
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