wintertime

I agree! The NWS is a great agency. Not perfect by any means. All NWS offices are not the same. Some are, seemingly, more reliable than others, but I believe they all try their best to do a good job to keep the public as safe as possible. I also believe people, in general, are much too hard on the NWS when it comes to winter weather and snowfall forecasts in particular. They can not see the future. They have to rely on flawed models just like everyone else does to make an accurate snowfall forecast. Models are not technologically advanced to the point that accurate snowfall accumulations can be given for each particular winter storm. So when a forecast office puts out a winter weather advisory when, in hind sight, it probably could have been a winter storm warning people get far too bent out of shape. Who cares? No one is going to be put in danger because the NWS issued a WWA instead of a WSW. Tornado warnings are a different best altogether. Flash flood warnings a different beast. People's lives are dependant upon, many times, split second accuracy. As I can attest, because I am one myself, snow lovers get a little crazy over a missed snowfall forecast!

Too funny!!!! Lol!!!! Who said anything about relying on social media for an accurate forecast? Funny how people read into things! I did see someone refer to social media as a means by which people would know a storm is impending! Lol!!!!!!

Splitting hairs between WWA's and WSW's = tornado warnings. 2+2=5 Totally the same!

I digress. It's not the same. It started with people complaining about the NWS dropping the ball by not issuing a winter storm warning instead of a winter weather advisory. That's what I've been discussing. It's getting ridiculous at this point. Really, enough said about it. Lol

This discussion began about winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings. Not other advisories. If you are talking in regards to tornado warnings, flash flood warnings, then that is a different discussion altogether.

I suppose the difference between you and I is the fact that I believe people can manage themselves. The average Joe can make his way in the snow, in the winter, in Illinois and Wisconsin. If there is a big headline event everyone is going to catch wind of it in this day and age. The same people caught of guard by adverse conditions, in this day and age, are the same people who will be caught off guard by adverse conditions whether the NWS puts out warnings or not. If the NWS didn't exist weather headlines would still be out to the public all over the place. Social media. Local news! It's everywhere now. There is a need for the NWS. I'm glad it's there, but they are no longer the be all end all. WWA or WSW? People are going to know what's coming regardless.

That would have happened to you whether there was a winter storm warning issued or not. Why where you out there in those conditions to begin with in a winter storm warning knowing the conditions were as bad as they were? Why? Because it's life. You wanted and decided to be out there. You knew the risk. People can manage their lives in snow. If you tell them how much snow you are forecasting to fall, people will adjust their lives. People aren't stupid. Neither are businesses. Give them an accumulation forecast and they will adjust their lives and businesses accordingly.

If the general public was on this forum watching weather weenies slice and dice, splitting hairs over a winter weather advisory and winter storm warning they would be calling the people on this forum the crazy ones, not the NWS.

That headline would probably work. Unless we are talking about a life threatening blizzard, who cares about the headline. Give people a snow accumulation forecast and that's really all that matters. If you live in Chicago or Milwaukee in the winter time please tell me what the big deal is. It snows every winter. Around 40 inches on average. This isn't the deep south where a half inch of snow shuts the place down. WWA or WSW. Who cares? Aside from weather weenies?

The general public? Like they care. If you're not a weather fanatic like the people on this and other weather forums who cares? The public knows it's going to snow whether it's a WAA or WSW. It's Chicago. It's Milwaukee. It's winter. It snows.

Yeah. It's been broken for at least 15 years.

This is an epic rant! I have not laughed so hard in a long time! You have to be a true snow lover to get just how funny this is. We all get let down by caring as much as we do for snow and cold, but wow!