PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 910 AM EST WED DEC 1 2004 TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS... NOAAPORT SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...NWS EMPLOYEES FROM: MICHAEL CAROPOLO METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE...NWS WILMINGTON NC SUBJECT: NWS 2004-2005 WINTER WEATHER PROGRAM CHANGES ON MONDAY JANUARY 3 2005 AT 1200 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/... WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE /WFO/ WILMINGTON NC WILL BE EXPANDING ITS WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AND WARNING PROGRAM SUITE TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING EVENT SPECIFIC WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND WINTER STORM WARNINGS PRODUCTS /WSW/: WARNING PRODUCTS ADVISORY PRODUCTS ---------------- ----------------- HEAVY SNOW WARNING SNOW ADVISORY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY ICE STORM WARNING FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY THE CRITERIA FOR ISSUING EVENT SPECIFIC WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS IS BASED ON WHETHER A SINGLE WINTER WEATHER PRECIPITATION TYPE CAN BE DETERMINED WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE BY THE WFO FORECAST TEAM. IF THE PRECIPITATION TYPE CANNOT BE DETERMINED WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE...OR MORE THAN ONE WINTER WEATHER PRECIPITATION TYPE IS POSSIBLE...THE FORECAST TEAM WILL ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY OR A WINTER STORM WARNING. THE COMPLETE LIST OF WINTER WEATHER PROGRAM PRODUCTS /WSW/ IS LISTED BELOW: WATCH PRODUCTS WARNING PRODUCTS ADVISORY PRODUCTS -------------- ---------------- ----------------- WINTER STORM WATCH WINTER STORM WARNING WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HEAVY SNOW WARNING SNOW ADVISORY BLIZZARD WARNING SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY ICE STORM WARNING FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY WIND CHILL WATCH WIND CHILL WARNING WIND CHILL ADVISORY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EVENT SPECIFIC WINTER WEATHER PROGRAM ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS DIRECTIVES...NWS INSTRUCTION 10-513 WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS SPECIFICATION...ON THE NATIONAL DIRECTIVES SYSTEM WEB SITE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/... HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/DIRECTIVES/010/PD01005013D.PDF IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT NWS PRODUCTS FROM WILMINGTON NC... PLEASE CONTACT TOM MATHESON AT 910-762-4289...OR VIA E-MAIL AT THOMAS.MATHESON@NOAA.GOV. $$