National Weather Service considers major changes to warning system

Soliciting Comments on Proposal to Change Small Craft Advisory to Small Craft Warning through May 24, 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 Erie and Lake Ontario is "Sustained winds or frequent gusts (on the Great Lakes) between 20 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 National Weather Service (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?

Please provide feedback by taking the survey at this link through May 24, 2020: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VZGX6BF