Blizzard Conditions Are Forecast Across Parts of the Northern Plains and Upper Great Lakes

In the north-central U.S., a strong storm will continue to bring heavy snow and gusty to high winds over parts of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest tonight before moving across the Great Lakes with heavy lake effect snow Wednesday into Thanksgiving Day. Isolated severe thunderstorms are likely across parts of the Southeast/Deep South, mainly this evening into early tonight. Read More >

Soliciting Comments on Proposal to Change Small Craft Advisory to Small Craft Warning through August 31st, 2020

What is being proposed?

To change the Small Craft Advisory product to a Small Craft Warning product, including the headlines. Criteria for the product would remain the same, which for the nearshore waters of Lake Superior is "Sustained winds or frequent gusts (on the Great Lakes) between 22 and 33 knots inclusive, and/or seas or waves greater than 4 feet." The change is simply in the name.

Why is this change being proposed?

The NWS is considering a major change to the Watch, Warning, and Advisory (WWA) system. For information on this and other proposed changes see: https://www.weather.gov/hazardsimplification/ As part of the proposed new system, NWS would remove the terms "Advisory," "Special Weather Statement," and "NOWcast" as headlines and streamline all sub-Watch and sub-Warning information into a single, plain language statement, with a few exceptions. One exception to this change includes the marine Small Craft Advisory (SCA) product. Due to the critical nature and use of the information in the Small Craft Advisory product and the fact that associated conditions require vessels of a certain size to take protective action, NWS proposes renamed this product "Small Craft Warning" instead of converting it to a plain language statement. The NWS regional criteria for issuing Small Craft Advisories would remain the same for Small Craft Warnings. Below is a link to the current regional SCA criteria: https://www.weather.gov/marine/faq#13

Where can I find more information about this proposal?

A description of the proposal to change Small Craft Advisory to Small Craft Warning, product examples, and requirements explanation can be found at the following link: https://nws.weather.gov/products/PDD/PDD_ProposaltoChangeSmallCraftAdvisorytoWarning_2020.pdf

How can I share my feedback?

The survey is now closed, but comments on this proposal can still be sent via email through August 31, 2020: hazsimp@noaa.gov

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Blizzard Conditions Are Forecast Across Parts of the Northern Plains and Upper Great Lakes

Proposal to Change Small Craft Advisory to Small Craft Warning -- submit comments by August 31, 2020