National Weather Service
Support for Special Events
“ America ’ s Weather Enterprise : Protecting Lives , Livelihoods , and Your Way of Life ” weather . gov
If you are planning a special event , one of your biggest concerns is likely the weather . Whether you are a private citizen or an event organizer planning an activity with a large number of participants and spectators , support for dealing with the impacts of weather is available and is easily accessible . No one can guarantee good weather , but the National Weather Service ( NWS ) can help you prepare for hazardous conditions that may put participants and spectators in harms way . Our partners in America ’ s Weather Industry1 can also provide a high level of specialized weather support .
What kinds of weather information are available to me from NWS ?
The NWS is a government agency which provides weather , water , and climate information for the general public , including warnings to protect life and property . Some standard ways to receive NWS forecasts and warnings include the NOAA Family of Services , NOAA Weather Wire Service , NOAA Weather Radio , NWS web pages and our experimental XML / CAP feeds . Many of the information products provided by NWS are produced on a regular schedule , while some are produced as conditions warrant , e . g . tornado warnings .
Your local NWS office can help you determine the best means of receiving NWS products and ensure you know how to use them . NWS ’ highest priority is public safety . Always keep in mind that NWS issues watches , warnings , and other special products based upon severe weather criteria but rarely provide special forecasts for a particular activity or event .
If routine forecasts from the NWS aren ’ t sufficient , and you need customized or highly localized information , you should consider a service provider from AWI . Our partners in the private sector can provide customized weather information , alerts , weather radar , communication devices , and consulting services . Support by AWI can be organized , tailored and packaged to help you make decisions about how to plan and run your special event and for the management of the event , its participants and spectators . NWS does not endorse any particular service provider , but we maintain a list of those available at http :/ weather . gov / im /
If I hire a service provider from AWI , will NWS work with them ?
Absolutely . The NWS is especially concerned that you are prepared for hazardous weather , and will want to talk with your service provider from AWI well before the event to coordinate roles in case a weather warning becomes necessary . Your service provider may also want to talk to us about availability of local weather information .
If weather becomes a threat to the event organized , will NWS let me know ?
If you inform the NWS about your event planning in advance , we can work with you on how you can obtain the latest NWS forecasts and warnings and how NWS provides support for hazardous weather . We can also let you know if the level of support needed is beyond what NWS routinely provides .
What if I need more specific weather-related help for planning and running my event ? Should I hire a service provider from America ’ s Weather Industry ( AWI )?
Will the NWS come to my event ?
NWS can work directly with state and local government officials , such as Emergency Managers , to help
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