Winter Weather PNS 2


Public Information Statement 
National Weather Service New York NY 
600 AM EDT Mon Oct 28 2024

...THIS WEEK IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN NEW YORK STATE...

The topic for today is winter weather preparedness. 

Long term seasonal outlooks are issued by the NWS Climate Prediction 
Center. The latest winter outlook indicates a higher probability of 
above normal temperatures than near or below normal temperatures. 
With respect to precipitation there is equal chances for above, 
below or near normal precipitation. Shorter term climate factors, 
that are difficult to predict more than 1 to 2 weeks in advance, 
will have significant influence on the weather we experience as 
well. 

National Weather Service field offices issue...

Hazardous Weather Outlooks...3 to 7 days before the onset of 
potential hazardous weather... 

Watches...usually up to 48 hours before the potential onset of 
Hazardous weather... 

Warnings and Advisories...usually up to 36 hours before the onset of 
hazardous weather...

Beginning this season the National Weather Service has simplified 
its suite of cold weather products. This will be covered more in 
depth on Friday.

Snow Squall Warnings (SQWs)...these are short fused, meaning they 
are typically issued with an hour or less lead time. They will be 
issued if a heavy snow shower, accompanied by gusty winds and 
blowing snow, is expected to cause a rapid drop in visbility to 1/4 
mile or less and plummet temperatures sufficiently to cause a flash 
freeze. These quick moving events are rare in our area, but when 
they do occur can be life threatening, leading to multi car pile-ups 
on high speed roads. Impact-based Warning (IBW) tags are utilized in 
Snow Squall Warnings, and WEAs will be limited to only those high 
impact SQWs with the Snow Squall Impact tag of "Significant". This 
will improve the public response to SQWs by providing machine 
readable information and issuing WEA alerts only for snow squall 
events that pose a substantial threat to safe travel.

Otherwise, winter storms bring snow, freezing rain, sleet, flooding 
and high winds. Occasionally, arctic air can move in behind winter 
storms, resulting in a short or prolonged period of sub-freezing 
weather. Be prepared before a storm strikes. Do you have adequate 
supplies at home, at work and in your vehicle? Dress properly for 
the season. Do you know what to do if you become caught in a winter 
storm whether you are outside or inside a vehicle, or inside your 
home? Does your family have a disaster plan? 

The next statement around 6 am Tuesday will cover heavy snow.

$$