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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT 25-49
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS SILVER SPRING MD
130 PM EDT MON JULY 21 2025
TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
-NOAAPORT
OTHER NWS PARTNERS AND NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: STEPHEN BIEDA III, PH.D., CHIEF
SEVERE, FIRE, PUBLIC, AND WINTER WEATHER SERVICES
BRANCH
SUBJECT: SOLICITING COMMENTS ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE WINTER
STORM SEVERITY INDEX THROUGH AUGUST 22, 2025.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) IS SOLICITING COMMENTS ON
PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE WINTER STORM SEVERITY INDEX (WSSI)
THROUGH AUGUST 22, 2025. THOSE CHANGES INCLUDE:
- THE REMOVAL OF THE "GROUND BLIZZARD" COMPONENT AS ITS
UNDERLYING SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE
"BLOWING SNOW" COMPONENT.
- THE REMOVAL OF THE “FLASH FREEZE” COMPONENT DUE TO
CHALLENGES WITH STANDARD DEFINITION AND VERIFICATION
THE PURPOSE OF THE WSSI IS TO PROVIDE NWS FORECASTERS, PARTNERS,
AND THE PUBLIC WITH AN INDICATION OF THE SEVERITY OF WINTER
WEATHER HAZARDS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR RELATED SOCIETAL IMPACTS.
THE WSSI DOES NOT DEPICT OFFICIAL WARNINGS AND SHOULD ALWAYS BE
USED IN CONTEXT WITH OFFICIAL NWS FORECASTS AND WARNINGS.
THE WSSI WILL BE UPDATED EVERY TWO HOURS AT APPROXIMATELY 0100
COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC), 0300 UTC, 0500 UTC, ETC. NO
COMMUNICATION SYSTEM CHANGES ARE REQUIRED TO VIEW THIS WEB-BASED
INFORMATION.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS PROVIDED IN THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
DOCUMENT (PDD) AT THE LINK BELOW:
HTTPS://NSDESK.SERVICENOWSERVICES.COM/API/G_NOA/NWSPC/RES2/8B895
19397AA22148881BB7DE053AF0D
THE WSSI WEBSITE IS AVAILABLE HERE:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/WSSI
COMMENTS, FEEDBACK, AND QUESTIONS ON THESE PROPOSED CHANGES TO
THE WSSI ARE WELCOME THROUGH AUGUST 22, 2025 BY SENDING AN EMAIL
TO:
JAMES NELSON
BRANCH CHIEF, DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING BRANCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER
COLLEGE PARK, MD
EMAIL: JAMES.A.NELSON@NOAA.GOV
ERIC GUILLOT
WINTER WEATHER PROGRAM LEAD
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - ANALYZE, FORECAST, AND SUPPORT OFFICE
STERLING, VA
EMAIL: ERIC.GUILLOT@NOAA.GOV
NATIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS ARE ONLINE AT:
HTTPS://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NOTIFICATION/
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