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NWS Winter Weather Products & Media Coordination. National Weather Service Des Moines, IA. NWS Winter Weather Products & Media Coordination. HPC/SPC/CPC Winter Weather Products WFO Winter Weather Products Media Coordination Internal NWS Collaboration Outreach.
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NWS Winter Weather Products & Media Coordination National Weather Service Des Moines, IA
NWS Winter Weather Products & Media Coordination • HPC/SPC/CPC Winter Weather Products • WFO Winter Weather Products • Media Coordination • Internal NWS Collaboration • Outreach
HPC Winter Weather Products HPC Winter Weather Website: www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/winter_wx.shtml
HPC Winter Weather Products HPC Snow Accumulation Graphics Probability forecast for days 1, 2 and 3
HPC Winter Weather Products • Freezing rain graphic like snowfall graphic • Composite graphic combines 4, 8 and 12 snowfall probabilities and ice graphic
HPC Winter Weather Products • Current surface low position charts. • Combines surface low position and composite radar. The link has 6 hours worth of charts at 15 minute intervals. Good for a quick overview.
HPC Winter Weather Products • HPC forecast significant surface low positions. • Forecasts valid through 60 hours. • Region with circles represent where lows historically verify 75% of the time.
HPC Winter Weather Products • Low tracks and clusters. • Through 72 hours after model run initialization. • Cluster diagram of various model runs with HPC preffered in black.
HPC Winter Weather Products • Experimental winter weather impact graphics. • Model derived graphics with no forecaster intervention. Interactive display.
HPC Winter Weather Products • Text products include winter weather storm summary product and heavy snow and icing discussion.
SPC Winter Products • SPC issues Mesoscale discussions for winter weather under certain circumstances. • Mesoscale discussions focus on the “why” a significant winter weather event will likely occur within 3 hours. The discussion is accompanied by a graphic of the event.
WFO Outlooks Hazardous Weather Outlooks – Issued through day seven. Includes all hazards including winter weather. To be included in the HWO, the event should have at least a 30 percent chance of reaching at least advisory criteria.
WFO Winter Weather Watches Winter Weather Watches – • Issued 12 hours through 48 hours. • Issued with winter weather element has at least a 50 percent probability of occurrence. • Winter weather watches are issued for: 1. Winter Storm: For heavy snow, sleet, ice or a combination of elements. 2. Blizzard: For blizzard conditions. 3. Wind Chill: For dangerous wind chill.
WFO Winter Weather Warnings Winter Weather Warnings – • Issued through 36 hours. • Issued with winter weather element has at least a 80 percent probability of occurrence. • Winter weather warnings are issued for: 1. Winter Storm: For a combination of heavy snow, sleet, ice or wind (25-34 mph). 2. Blizzard: At least 35 mph winds, ¼ mile visibility due to falling or blowing snow from 3 hours or more. Note there is no minimal snow forecast for a blizzard warning. 3. Wind Chill: For dangerous wind chills of less than 30 degrees F. 4. Heavy Snow: At least 6 inches of snow in 12 hours or 8 inches in 24 hours.
WFO Winter Weather Warnings Winter Weather Warnings – 5. Sleet: For heavy sleet (1/2 inch or more). 6. Ice: For ice of ¼ inch or more.
WFO Winter Weather Advisories Winter Weather Advisories – • Issued through 36 hours with at least an 80 percent chance of occurrence. • Issued for the same elements as winter weather warnings, but amount thresholds lower than warning criteria. • Single element advisories. • If there are two or more elements, the advisory can be combined into a “winter weather advisory”.
WFO Winter Products Winter Weather Products – • Short term forecasts: Issued in the near term to emphasize short term forecast trends. • Snowfall Public Information Statements: Issued occasionally during winter weather events with the latest snowfall totals. • Local Storm Reports: Issued for damaging events such as ice storm damage and wind damage. • Winter Weather watch/warning/advisory product (WSW): Product used to issue all winter weather watch/warning/advisory products. Updated four times daily in addition to initial issuance (4 am, 11 am, 4 pm and 9 pm). • Non-Precipitation Weather watch/warning/advisory product (NPW): Product used to issue all non-precipitation watch/warning/advisory products. Updated four times daily in addition to initial issuance (4 am, 11 am, 4 pm and 9 pm).
Why VTEC? • Customers needed an easy-to-decode, uniform way to receive Watch/Warning/Advisory (W/W/A) information • Allows start to finish tracking of W/W/As • Allows for quicker dissemination of W/W/A information in conjunction with UGC header • Helps to standardize our products for both internal and external use (webpages, TV crawls)
Definition of a VTEC Event • An event is a specific combination of phenomenon (e.g., Heavy Snow, Tornado, Wind) and level of significance (e.g., Watch, Warning, or Advisory). • Common examples of events include: Phenomenon Level of Significance Heavy Snow Warning HS W Winter Storm Warning WS W Tornado Watch TO A Wind Advisory WI Y • Each event given an Event Tracking Number (ETN), a four-digit number which stays with the event through its lifetime - from first issuance until upgrade, downgrade, cancellation or expiration.
Digital Forecast Database • Official forecast of the National Weather Service is the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD). • All text forecast products are derived from the NDFD using formatters.
WFO Coolaboration • NDFD needs to be a COOLABORATED forecast. • WFO’s routinely chat to each other about the forecast using an internal chat service. • Coordination calls and conference calls also used.
Media Collaboration • Using MEDIA CHAT. WFO Des Moines will have Media Chat open at a minimum whenever a “headline” is in effect. Media Chat will be routinely open during “normal” operations. • Media Collaboration can occur between the media and/or between the media and the NWS using Media Chat. • Other methods of coordination include calling on the Media Line (515-270-4516), or using the Media Hotline (Des Moines).
Outreach • National Weather Service appreciates all public outreach done by the media. • Without the media, awareness campaigns would not be effective. • Interviews and including the NWS in your activities is encouraged. • The NWS also appreciates all independent outreach efforts. • Iowa Winter Weather Day – November 9, 2006 • Severe Weather Awareness Week in 2007 – First full week of April.
