Advisory & Special Weather Statement transitioning to plain language
Advisory headlines will be written to highlight the impacts from the specific hazardous weather.
Special Weather Statements (SPS) will align with all other alerts by using the simplified bullet format.
Drag the bar to the left and right to see the previous and current format
Drag the bar to the left and right to see the previous and current format
Plain language headline examples:
SNOW: Hazardous travel in snow and blowing snow from 9AM to 8PM
HEAT: Heat index values up to 100F until 4PM
HIGH SURF: Unusually high surf from 6AM to 12PM
FLOOD: Ponding of water in low-lying and poor drainage areas from 3PM to 8PM
Key Benefits
Alert Clarity: Removes the most confusing terms (Advisory & Special Weather Statement) from the NWS alerting system
Fast Messaging: Emphasizes hazard and impact, putting the main point up front
Translation and comprehension: Plain language makes alerts easier to translate into other languages or understand in different dialects
Education: Creates an alerting system with only two primary terms to learn/explain – Watch and Warning – the hazard is either possible or happening
Information sharing and analysis: Standardized format improves machine readability, tracking and archiving of alerts, and consistency of information currently contained within the Special Weather Statement (SPS)
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