NOAA Weather Communication

Found a pretty cool article about NOAA earler today. The article discusses how NOAA will be running a test in the coming months.

Many commonfolk do not understand the current NOAA weather warning system in place. People have a hard time deciphering what the difference between a Watch, Warning, or Advisory. NOAA hopes to combat this confusion by running a new set of criteria. They plan to test this new system starting now (December 12, 2012) and run it through March.

New definitions:
A Winter Storm WATCH is in effect for XXXXX counties.
BECOMES
POTENTIAL for a Winter storm is in effect for XXXXXX counties.

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for XXXX counties
BECOMES
A Warning for a Dangerous Winter Storm is in effect for XXXX counties.

NOAA is going to change the language of the winter hazard warnings while also better defining the content in those warning, they hope to appeal more the layperson and to make sure people are accurately informed about potential hazardous weather in their area.

The system makes sense, although the fact that we now have different warning levels might also be confusing depending on the terminology they decide to use.

Good Terminology ranking:
Typical storm, Dangerous storm, Extremely Dangerous Storm, Go-out-and-buy-as-much-toilet-paper-and-canned-food-as-you-can Storm. 

Bad Terminology ranking
 Storm, Dangerous storm, hazardous storm, debilitating storm, Super Hazardous storm.

NOAA could be on to something here, as long as they can pick some people friendly terminology to use to accurately portray what they're trying to say.

national-weather-service-tests-new-simpler-winter-hazard-communications