PHOTO OF LAKE MICHIGAN BY jmenard48/FLICKR
The National Weather Service (NWS) is looking at switching “Small Craft Advisory” to “Small Craft Warning” and just released a survey on the matter. The phrasing is part of the NWS Watch, Warning, and Advisory (WWA) system. NOAA believes switching to “Small Craft Warning” would fit better with other warnings boaters hear, like Gale, Storm and Hurricane Force Wind. Today, “Small Craft Advisory” typically is put out when winds are 20 to 33 knots and/or waves are 4 feet or higher. A change in name would not cause a change in definition.
“Every day they go boating, boat owners check the weather and then make the decision to either head out or not,” says BoatUS Government Affairs Manager David Kennedy. “We think the name change will help clarify what this means, leading to a better understanding of the severity of a marine weather forecast, and help give recreational boaters the information they need to make smart choices about boating safely.”
The survey ends May 24. Take it at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VZGX6BF.
