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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON/NORTON MA  
806 AM EDT MON OCT 26 2026  
   
..WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK
 
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 26  
TO OCTOBER 30 AS WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK. WE WILL BE  
ISSUING PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS CONCERNING MANY ASPECTS OF  
WINTER WEATHER AND WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS. IN ADVANCE, WE  
WANT TO THANK OUR FRIENDS IN THE MEDIA FOR HELPING TO BRING THIS  
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION TO THE ATTENTION OF THEIR VIEWERS,  
LISTENERS AND READERS.  
 
PART 1 OF 5 - WINTER WEATHER BASICS:  
 
FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN NEW ENGLAND, WINTER WEATHER IS A PART OF  
LIFE FROM NOVEMBER THROUGH MARCH. SNOW, SLEET, FREEZING RAIN,  
COLD TEMPERATURES AND COLD WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES WILL BE COMMON  
OCCURRENCES SOON. WHILE MOST OF THE TIME THESE WEATHER ELEMENTS  
ARE ONLY A NUISANCE TO OUR DAILY ROUTINES, AT TIMES THEY CAN  
PRODUCE HAZARDOUS OR LIFE-THREATENING SITUATIONS FOR THOSE WHO  
ARE NOT PREPARED.  
 
TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER  
EVENTS OR SITUATIONS, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES  
OUTLOOKS, WATCHES, WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES. YOU SHOULD KEEP THE  
FOLLOWING GENERAL DEFINITIONS IN MIND.  
 
OUTLOOK - A HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS ISSUED DAILY BY NATIONAL  
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO ALERT THE  
PUBLIC TO THE POTENTIAL FOR ANY HAZARDOUS WEATHER  
DURING THE NEXT 7 DAYS, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT WINTER  
STORMS, HIGH WIND, COASTAL FLOODING, AND EXTREME  
TEMPERATURES. DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY IN PREDICTING THE  
STRENGTH AND PATH OF A WINTER STORM MORE THAN SEVERAL  
DAYS IN ADVANCE, THE EXACT IMPACT ON THE AREA (IF ANY)  
WILL NOT BE KNOWN. IN ADDITION, NATIONAL WEATHER  
SERVICE OFFICES MAY ISSUE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS  
HIGHLIGHTING THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF A MAJOR WINTER  
STORM.  
NWS PRODUCT - HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK.  
 
WATCH - WATCHES ARE ISSUED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC THAT DANGEROUS  
WINTER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 TO 48  
HOURS, WHEN FORECASTER CONFIDENCE REACHES 50 PERCENT.  
PRODUCTS INCLUDE, WINTER STORM WATCHES, HIGH WIND  
WATCHES, AND COASTAL FLOOD WATCHES.  
 
WARNING - WARNINGS ARE ISSUED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC THAT DANGEROUS  
WINTER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR WITHIN THE NEXT  
36 HOURS OR ARE OCCURRING. FORECASTER CONFIDENCE HAS TO  
REACH 80 PERCENT OR HIGHER. PRODUCTS INCLUDE, WINTER  
STORM WARNING, ICE STORM WARNING, BLIZZARD WARNING,  
HIGH WIND WARNING, WIND CHILL WARNING, AND COASTAL  
FLOOD WARNING.  
 
ADVISORY- ADVISORIES ARE ISSUED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC THAT WINTER  
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE A SIGNIFICANT  
INCONVENIENCE AND MAY BE HAZARDOUS. IF CAUTION IS  
EXERCISED, THESE SITUATIONS SHOULD NOT BE LIFE-  
THREATENING. PRODUCTS INCLUDE, WINTER WEATHER  
ADVISORY, WIND ADVISORY AND WIND CHILL ADVISORY.  
 
SPECIFIC THRESHOLDS FOR ADVISORIES, WATCHES AND WARNINGS VARY BY  
STATE. THEY CAN BE FOUND AT  
 
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BOX/CRITERIA  
 

 
 
FOR THE LATEST UPDATES...PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT  
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BOSTON  
 
YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AT  
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.BOSTON.GOV  
 
YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AT  
@NWSBOSTON  
 
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