Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS National HQ

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Public Information Statement 19-36 Updated
National Weather Service Headquarters Silver Spring MD
1130 AM EDT Thu Oct 9 2025

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

From: Stephen W. Bieda III, Ph.D., Chief
 Severe, Fire, Public, and Winter Weather Services
 Branch

Subject: Updated: Soliciting Comments on Experimental Winter
Storm Outlook through May 15, 2026

Updated to extend comment period through May 15, 2026.

Through May 15, 2026, the National Weather Service (NWS) is
extending the opportunity for user feedback on the experimental
Winter Storm Outlook (WSO). There are no consequential changes
for Winter 2025-2026. The WSO depicts the probability of
exceeding Winter Storm Warning criteria for both snow and ice
over the next four (4) days for any given location in the
contiguous United States (CONUS), thus alerting the public and
NWS partners of the timing and location of a significant winter
threat. WSO probabilities will be displayed when there is a
greater than 10 percent chance of exceeding event-based local
Weather Forecast Office (WFO) watch/warning snow criteria. The
criteria can be accessed from the WSO web page. The WSO is not a
substitute for Winter Storm Watches or Warnings issued by NWS
offices.
The public will have access to WSO maps consisting of four (4)
individual 24-hour snow and freezing rain outlooks. These
outlooks will be issued at 0200, 0600, 0900, 1400, 1800, and
2100 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)(one each for Day 1, 2, 3,
and 4, with 12 to 12 UTC valid times). To depict storms that
stretch across multiple days, the Weather Prediction Center
(WPC) will also produce a maximum probability across all time
ranges (Days 1 to 4). The experimental WSO product is available
at:
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/wso
Feedback received will help the NWS evaluate the benefits of
using the experimental WSO product to provide information
related to hazardous winter weather and inform any future path
to operations. The experimental WSO product is intended to
enhance decision support services provided to NWS partners in
emergency management, broadcast/ electronic media,
transportation, and the general public. Please note that, as an
experimental product, the amount and content provided may
change, and the frequency of content may vary and is not
guaranteed.
Users should not rely on the WSO as the primary means of
receiving NWS information about hazardous winter weather
conditions. Users should tune to NOAA Weather Radio or
local/national media sources, and local NWS websites for the
latest critical information. NWS alerts, watches, and warnings
are also available on the NWS official website:
https://www.weather.gov/
More detailed information about the experimental WSO project can
be found in the NWS Product Description Document (PDD) at the
following URL:

https://nsdesk.servicenowservices.com/api/g_noa/nwspc/res2/5696b
59a1b13e2940d690f67624bcb60

Users are encouraged to provide feedback on this experimental
service by completing the brief survey and comment form
available online at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ExpWinterStormOutlook_2025-2026

If you have questions or comments regarding the Experimental
Winter Storm Outlook, please contact:

Michael Muccilli
Winter Weather Program Coordinator
National Weather Service - Analyze, Forecast, and Support Office
Silver Spring, MD
Email: michael.muccilli@noaa.gov

Alex Lamers
Branch Chief, Forecast Operations Branch
National Weather Service - Weather Prediction Center
College Park, MD
Email: alex.lamers@noaa.gov

National Public Information Statements are available at:

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