980922: Winter Wx Severity Index Part 2-NOUS (fwd)

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 980922: Winter Wx Severity Index Part 2-NOUS (fwd)
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 09:28:20 -0600 (MDT)

681 
NOUS41 KWBC 221432
PNSWSH
 
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...PART 2 OF 2
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1030 AM EDT TUE SEP 22 1998
 
TO        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ EMPLOYEES...FAMILY OF
          SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
          /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NWS CUSTOMERS
 
FROM      THERESE S. PIERCE...CHIEF...INTEGRATED
          HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
 
SUBJECT   PART 2 OF 2 - IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW WINTER WEATHER
          SEVERITY INDEX /WWSI/ TO IDENTIFY THE FORECAST IMPACT
          OF WINTER WEATHER EVENTS IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND THE
          NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...EFFECTIVE NOV. 25 1998 
 
TABLE 1. WWSI CATEGORIES:
     
*    WX1 - MINOR INCONVENIENCE - OCCURRENCE OF WINTER ELEMENTS
/E.G. SNOW...COLD...ETC./ CONSIDERED ROUTINE OR TYPICAL TO THE
FORECAST AREA.  NO SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE OR TRAVEL CONCERNS FOR
MOST PEOPLE OR ORGANIZATIONS WITH NORMAL PREPARATION.
 
*    WX2 - INCONVENIENCE - THE COMBINED EFFECT OF THE WEATHER
ELEMENTS DURING A WINTER STORM OF THIS CATEGORY WOULD PROBABLY
ONLY ADVERSELY IMPACT THOSE DIRECTLY EXPOSED /I.E. OUTSIDE/. 
TRAFFIC MAY BE SLOWED AT TIMES...BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY... EXPOSURE
TO THE WEATHER ELEMENTS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME COULD BE
DANGEROUS.
 
*    WX3 - SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCE - DIRECT EXPOSURE TO THE
ELEMENTS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME CAN BE DANGEROUS...AND FOR AN
EXTENDED PERIOD COULD BE POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING.  ON
LESSER-TRAVELED ROADS...TRAVEL MAY BECOME IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...ACCUMULATED ICE...ETC. ON BUSIER
ROADWAYS...TRAVEL MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWED BY THE SAME
ELEMENTS.  
 
*    WX4 - POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING...UNLESS WELL-PREPARED -
DIRECT EXPOSURE TO THE WEATHER FOR MORE THAN A SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE.  TRAVEL ON SECONDARY ROADS COULD
BE SEVERELY IMPACTED...AND MAY BECOME IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO EXCESSIVE
DRIFTING SNOW OR ICE ACCUMULATION.  TRAVEL WOULD LIKELY BE
DIFFICULT AT BEST ON PRIMARY ROADWAYS.  IN SOME
LOCATIONS...TRAVEL MAY BE POSSIBLE ONLY IN SPECIALLY EQUIPPED
VEHICLES /I.E. 4-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES OR CARS WITH CHAINS/. SOME
SCHOOLS AND NON-EMERGENCY RELATED BUSINESSES IN THE HARDEST HIT
AREAS MAY CHOOSE TO CLOSE.  
 
*    WX5 - LIFE-THREATENING - EXPOSURE TO THE WEATHER ELEMENTS
FOR EVEN SHORT PERIODS COULD BE DEADLY.  DISORIENTATION MAY
RESULT DUE TO WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS.  TRAVEL SEVERELY
IMPACTED...AND MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE IN SOME AREAS...EVEN ON MAJOR
ROADS...FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME /I.E. 12 HOURS OR MORE/. 
ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL SECONDARY DANGERS MAY INCLUDE THE LOSS OF
SERVICE UTILITIES TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES.  
 
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM ATTEMPTS TO
IDENTIFY THE ..AVERAGE.. WEATHER IMPACT OVER A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.
 
LOCALIZED WEATHER CONDITIONS WITHIN A GIVEN ZONE FORECAST AREA
WILL LIKELY REACH A LEVEL HIGHER OR LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE
INTENSITY DUE TO TERRAIN FEATURES...VEGETATION...ETC. 
 
TABLE 2. ZONE FORECAST AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT:
                                   
UGC Z     WY ZONE NAME             UGC Z     NE ZONE NAME
 
WYZ059-   CONVERSE                 NEZ001-   SIOUX 
WYZ060-   NIOBRARA                 NEZ002-   DAWES
WYZ061-   SOUTHWEST CARBON         NEZ003-   BOX BUTTE
WYZ062-   NORTH CARBON             NEZ019-   SCOTTS BLUFF
WYZ063-   SNOWY RANGE              NEZ020-   BANNER
WYZ064-   NORTH LARAMIE RANGE      NEZ021-   MORRILL
WYZ065-   LARAMIE VALLEY           NEZ054-   KIMBALL
WYZ066-   SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE      NEZ055-   CHEYENNE
WYZ067-   PLATTE                   
WYZ068-   GOSHEN                   
WYZ069-   CHEYENNE FOOTHILLS       
WYZ070-   PINE BLUFFS              
 
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT YOU
MAY CONTACT:
 
MIKE LOONEY                        WILLIAM T. PARKER
CHIEF...METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES    METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE
NWS CENTRAL REGION HEADQUARTERS    NWS FORECAST OFFICE CHEYENNE
601 E 12TH STREET                  1301 AIRPORT PARKWAY
KANSAS CITY MISSOURI 64106         CHEYENNE WYOMING 82001
816-426-3239 EXT 701               307-772-2468 EXT 642
MIKE.LOONEY@xxxxxxxx               WILLIAM.PARKER@xxxxxxxx
 
JOE SULLIVAN
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NWS FORECAST OFFICE CHEYENNE WY
1301 AIRPORT PARKWAY
CHEYENNE WYOMING 82001
307-772-2468 EXT 726
JOSEPH.SULLIVAN@xxxxxxxx
 
...NOTE TO INTERNET USERS...
THIS AND ALL OTHER PENDING NWS SERVICE CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE NWS OFFICE OF METEOROLOGY/S HOME PAGE IN THE
NOTIFICATION SECTION.  THE ADDRESS OF THE NOTIFICATION SECTION
/IN SMALL CASE LETTERS/ IS
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM
 
END OF PART 2 OF 2