


Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS National HQ
Issued by NWS National HQ
693 NOUS41 KWBC 091530 AAF PNSWSH 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/