Should Sioux Falls Nation Weather Service ‘Advisories’ Go Away?

The old saying in South Dakota is, “If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes”. Weather is often top of mind in the mid-west.

Do you find 'Weather Advisories' confusing? Should the Sioux Falls Nation Weather Service Advisories go away? Right now the National Weather Service is conducting a survey to see if the Weather Advisories should be morphed into something more easily understood.

The NWS posted that: “For decades, the National Weather Service has used the "Watch, Warning, and Advisory" system to make users aware of expected weather and water hazards. Extensive social science research with NWS meteorologists, core partners, and the public has found that these three WWA terms can be misunderstood and/or easily confused. The concern with such confusion is that it could contribute to inappropriate responses by our partners and the public.”

Todd Heitkamp, Meteorologist In Charge at the Sioux Falls National Weather Service, explains:

“The National Weather Service is looking into eliminating all weather advisories. These advisories are issued for non-life-threatening weather events and more of a “nuisance” event. The reasoning for such a move is that advisories are often misunderstood and not followed. Examples of advisories that would no longer be issued would include wind chill, blowing snow, heat, and wind advisories just to name a few. This proposal does not impact any warnings. Those will continue to be issued.”

If you'd like to give your feedback on the topic you can take a brief survey at the NWS Sioux Falls website.