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Service Change Notice 24-75
National Weather Service Headquarters Silver Spring MD
325 PM EDT Thu Jul 25 2024

To: Subscribers:
 -NOAA Weather Wire Service
 -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
 -NOAAPort
 Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees

From: Douglas C. Young, Chief
 Digital and Graphical Information Support Branch

Subject: Changes in NWS Hazard Map Warning, Watch, Advisory
(WWA) Colors and Priorities: Effective October 1, 2024

On or about October 1, 2024, at 1800 Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC), the NWS will update WWA Hazard Map colors and priorities
for a subset of the Warnings, Watches, and Advisories displayed
on the weather.gov homepage.

This change will reflect updates in NWS products and services
resulting from such changes as the consolidation of products,
addition or removal of products, and/or a re-evaluation of the
priority of a hazard to ensure that the most significant threat
to life or property is displayed on the map when several
warnings and watches are in effect simultaneously.

These changes will also be reflected on all weather.gov
webpages.

The specific WWA map changes are as follows:

* Heavy Freezing Spray Warning - Priority changed from #75 to
#25.
* Ashfall Advisory - Priority changed from #86 to #40.
* Extreme Cold Warning - Moved to Priority #50 and replaced Wind
Chill Warning as part of the Implementation of Consolidated NWS
Public Weather Program Products Related to Cold (see Service
Change Notice (SCN) 23-44).
* Freeze Warning - Moved to Priority #51 as discontinuation of
"Hard Freeze Warning" included in the Implementation of
Consolidated NWS Public Weather Program Products Related to Cold
(see SCN 23-44).
* Tropical Cyclone Local Statement - "Hurricane Local Statement"
will be updated to "Tropical Cyclone Local Statement" to reflect
that it includes all tropical cyclone types.
* Winter Weather Advisory - Moved to Priority #60 above
Avalanche Advisory.
* Cold Weather Advisory - Added at Priority #62 and replaced
Wind Chill Advisory as part of the Implementation of
Consolidated NWS Public Weather Program Products Related to
Cold (see SCN 23-44).
* Flood Advisory -Priority #64 as part of the Implementation of
the Consolidation and/or Reformatting of Flood Watches, Warnings
and Advisories (see SCN 21-56).
* Coastal Flood Advisory - Moved to Priority #65 above Lakeshore
Flood Advisory.
* Winter Storm Watch - Moved up to Priority #82 and combined
with Blizzard Watch and Lake Effect Snow Watch.
* Avalanche Watch - Moved down to Priority #86.
* Flood Watch - Moved up to Priority #89.
* Extreme Cold Watch - Moved to Priority #94 and replaced Wind
Chill Watch as part of the Implementation of Consolidated NWS
Public Weather Program Products Related to Cold (see SCN 23-44).
* Freeze Watch - Moved to Priority #95 as discontinuation of
"Hard Freeze Watch" included in the Implementation of
Consolidated NWS Public Weather Program Products Related to
Cold (see SCN 23-44).

For more information regarding the consolidation of NWS Public
Weather Program Products related to cold, please see SCN 23-44
Updated,
Implementation of Consolidated NWS Public Weather Program
Products Related to Cold, at:
https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf_2023_24/scn23-
44_public_program_text_products_freeze_cold_aab.pdf

For more information on all NWS Warning, Watch, and Advisory
priorities and colors, please see:

https://www.weather.gov/help-map

For problems or operational issues with the NWS websites, please
contact:

NCEP Central Operations
Tech Control
nco.ops@noaa.gov

For any feedback on the changes in hazard colors and priorities
as described in this notice, please contact:

nws.webfeedback@noaa.gov

National Service Change Notices are online at:

https://www.weather.gov/notification/