Special weather statement

A Special weather statement is a form of weather advisory. Special weather statements are issued by the National Weather Service of the United States (the NWS) and the Meteorological Service of Canada (the MSC). There are no set criteria for special weather statements in either country.

United States

A special weather statement may be issued by the NWS for hazards that have not yet reached warning or advisory status or that do not have a specific code of their own, such as widespread funnel clouds. They are also occasionally used to clear counties from severe weather watches.[1] A common form of special weather statement is a significant weather alert. Occasionally special weather statements appear as heat advisories. An EAS activation can and may be requested on very rare occasions.

Examples of an American special weather statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
230 PM EDT FRI OCT 12 2007

NCZ060-061-TNZ041-072-074-087-102-130900-
CHEROKEE-CLAY-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-
SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS-SOUTHEAST MONROE-EAST POLK-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MURPHY...HAYESVILLE...COSBY...
CADES COVE...GATLINBURG...COKER CREEK...DUCKTOWN
230 PM EDT FRI OCT 12 2007

...PATCHY FROST AND AREAS OF FOG EXPECTED IN THE SMOKIES AND
SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA TONIGHT...

CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS WILL RESULT IN TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO
THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 30S ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS AND
SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. SOME PATCHY FROST COULD FORM IN THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS...MOST LIKELY IN VALLEYS. TENDER VEGETATION SHOULD
BE PROTECTED OR BROUGHT INDOORS.

AREAS OF FOG AREA ALSO LIKELY OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY NEAR BODIES
OF WATER AND IN VALLEYS. THE FOG COULD BE DENSE IN SOME
LOCATIONS...REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS.

$$

DGS

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
426 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-280015-
ARKANSAS-BAXTER-BOONE-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-
CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-
INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE-
MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-
PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-
WOODRUFF-YELL-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALTHEIMER...AMITY...ARKADELPHIA...
ARKANSAS CITY...ASH FLAT...AUGUSTA...AVILLA...BATESVILLE...
BAUXITE...BEARDEN...BEE BRANCH...BEEBE...BENTON...BISMARCK...
BONNERDALE...BOONEVILLE...BRINKLEY...BRYANT...BULL SHOALS...
CABOT...CALICO ROCK...CAMDEN...CAVE CITY...CENTER RIDGE...
CHIDESTER...CLARENDON...CLARKSVILLE...CLINTON...CONWAY...
COTTON PLANT...DANVILLE...DARDANELLE...DE VALLS BLUFF...DE WITT...
DEER...DES ARC...DONALDSON...DRASCO...DUMAS...EL PASO...ENGLAND...
FAIRFIELD BAY...FLIPPIN...FORDYCE...FOURCHE JUNCTION...
GASSVILLE...GEORGETOWN...GILLETT...GLENWOOD...GOULD...GRADY...
GRAVELLY...GREENBRIER...GREERS FERRY...GURDON...HAMPTON...HARDY...
HARRISON...HASKELL...HAZEN...HEBER SPRINGS...HECTOR...HERMITAGE...
HORSESHOE BEND...HOT SPRINGS...HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE...HOUSTON...
HUMNOKE...HUMPHREY...JACKSONVILLE...JASPER...JESSIEVILLE...
KINGSLAND...LACEY...LEAD HILL...LEOLA...LESLIE...LITTLE ROCK...
LONOKE...MALVERN...MAMMOTH SPRING...MARSHALL...MAUMELLE...
MAYFLOWER...MCCRORY...MCGEHEE...MELBOURNE...MENA...MONTICELLO...
MORO BAY...MORRILTON...MOUNT IDA...MOUNT MAGAZINE...
MOUNTAIN HOME...MOUNTAIN VIEW...MURFREESBORO...NEWPORT...
NORFORK...NORMAN...NORTH LITTLE ROCK...OIL TROUGH...OKOLONA...
OLA...OMAHA...OXFORD...OZONE...PARIS...PARON...PELSOR...
PERRYVILLE...PINE BLUFF...PINE RIDGE...PLEASANT PLAINS...POYEN...
PRATTSVILLE...REDFIELD...RISON...ROHWER...ROSE BUD...
RUSSELLVILLE...SALEM...SEARCY...SHERIDAN...SHERWOOD...STAR CITY...
STEPHENS...STUTTGART...SUMMIT...SWIFTON...THORNTON...TUCKERMAN...
VILONIA...VIOLA...WALDRON...WARREN...WESTERN GROVE...WICKES...
WRIGHTSVILLE...Y CITY...YELLVILLE
426 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

...COLD AIR FUNNELS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...

THE ENVIRONMENT THIS AFTERNOON HAS BECOME FAVORABLE FOR COLD AIR
FUNNEL CLOUDS AS AN AREA OF UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE MOVES THROUGH.
COLD AIR FUNNELS RARELY REACH THE GROUND AND GENERALLY POSE LITTLE
THREAT.

$$

Canada

Special weather statements are issued by the MSC for weather events that are unusual or those that cause general inconvenience or public concern and cannot adequately be described in a weather forecast. These may include widespread events such as Arctic outflows, Alberta clippers, coastal fog banks, areas of possible thunderstorm development, and strong winds such as chinooks and les suetes winds. They are written in a free style and may also reflect warnings in effect near the United States border.

Example of a Canadian special weather statement

WOCN17 CWHX 141915
Special weather statement updated by Environment Canada at 4:45 PM 
NDT Tuesday 14 May 2013.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Special weather statement for:
      Churchill Falls and vicinity
      Churchill Valley
      Upper Lake Melville
      Eagle River
      Nain and vicinity
      Hopedale and vicinity
      Postville - Makkovik
      Rigolet and vicinity
      Cartwright to Black Tickle.

      Snow, ice pellets and freezing rain expected on Wednesday.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
==discussion==
A low pressure system south of Nova Scotia will move northward to lie 
south of Goose Bay by Wednesday evening.  Rain associated with this 
system will develop over central regions overnight tonight then 
change to snow or ice pellets with a risk of freezing rain before 
morning.  In the Rigolet area, snow is expected to mix with or change 
to ice pellets, however an extended period of freezing rain is 
possible.  Precipitation is expected to remain primarily as snow from 
Nain to Makkovik and in the Churchill Falls area.  Though snowfall 
amounts are not expected to reach warning criteria at this time.

The public is advised to monitor future forecasts and warnings as 
warnings may be required or extended.

Please monitor the latest forecasts and warnings from Environment
Canada at www.weatheroffice.gc.ca

End

See also

References

External links