Help the National Weather Service Simplify Hazardous Weather Messages

When winter weather threatens, the National Weather Service issues watches, warnings, and advisory products to warn you of the impending hazard. In Central Alabama, winter weather is often the most difficult weather to deal with, both because it is very difficult to forecast, and because it leads to serious travel problems.

A few weeks back when Central Alabama experienced wintry mischief, some confusion about what are the differences between a Winter Storm Watch, a Winter Weather Advisory, and a Winter Storm Warning. I had mistakenly thought that the advisory was below watch criteria, but come to find out that the advisory is actually a step up in importance in the hazardous weather message process.

The National Weather Service is very interested in simplifying hazardous weather messages, and making them to where the messages are easier to understand. They have put together a survey to where your input will help steer the direction they take when issuing those messages.

You will be taken through a winter weather event for a location that doesn’t experience snowfall very often, and cannot withstand modest amounts of wintry precipitation accumulations without much disruption. All you have to do is use the information that is provided to answer questions (multiple choice) about your interpretation of the forecast, and what actions you would take for each time step.

If you would like to help out with this survey, please click the link below, and that will take you to the survey site.
NWS Winter Hazardous Weather Message Simplification Survey

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