Particularly Dangerous Situation

Background

The first PDS tornado watch was issued by Robert H. Johns for the April 2, 1982 tornado outbreak across the southern and central Great Plains. While historically applied only to severe thunderstorm, tornado and flash flood watches (i.e., Severe Local Storm "polygonal" events), PDS wording could theoretically be applied to other types of weather watches (such as winter storm, high wind, hurricane, or fire weather watches) when an enhanced threat for such conditions exists. These watches have generally (but not always) been issued during a high risk or an upper-end moderate risk either of severe storms from the SPC's convective outlooks or of flash flooding from the Weather Prediction Center (WPC)'s Excessive Rainfall Outlooks.

On April 24, 2011, the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Memphis, Tennessee issued the first PDS flash flood watch to highlight the threat for widespread, significant and potentially life-threatening flash flooding due to repeated rounds of severe thunderstorms.

PDS Tornado Watch

PDS tornado watches are issued when there is a higher than normal risk of multiple strong to violent tornadoes – especially those that are predicted to be long-track in nature, with path lengths of more than 20 miles – in the watch area (usually amounting to damage consistent with EF4 or EF5 tornadoes), in addition to including significant wind and hail damage. This enhanced wording in a Tornado Watch is meant to alert the public of the potential for very life-threatening severe weather. While there are no set criteria for a PDS watch to be issued, they are usually issued when the potential exists for a major tornado outbreak. These types of tornado watches represent about 90% of PDS watches issued by the Storm Prediction Center. PDS Tornado Watches are often issued on high risk days for severe weather.

The PDS Tornado Watch shown below was issued covering Alabama during the early stages of the extreme tornado outbreak that killed over 300 people (which clearly verified) as explained above.

NOTE: The color of all text in the original alert issued was black, except for the text "THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION", which was rendered in red (not bolded) in the actual alert.

The most recent PDS Tornado Watch was issued on January 22, 2017 along with the first HIGH risk of the year.

PDS Severe Thunderstorm Watch

PDS severe thunderstorm watches are issued when there is a higher than normal risk of severe thunderstorm winds capable of major structural damage (in addition to large hail and perhaps a few isolated tornadoes), usually due to a strong and persistent derecho. These watches are very rare (accounting an average of only two each year), as the risk for tornadoes must remain low enough to not warrant a tornado watch (a normal tornado watch would be issued if the tornado risk is significant alongside the extreme wind threat).

The PDS Severe Thunderstorm Watch shown below was from May 30, 2011:

NOTE: The color of all text in the original alert issued was black, except for the text "THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION", which was red (not bolded) in the actual alert.

PDS Flash Flood Watch

PDS Flash Flood Watches are issued when there is a higher than normal risk of widespread, life-threatening flash flooding. These watches are issued by local NWS Weather Forecast Offices, not the Storm Prediction Center.

This watch shown here, was the first PDS Flash Flood Watch and was issued by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Memphis, Tennessee on April 24, 2011, as mentioned above.

NOTE: The color of all text in the original alert issued was black, including the text "THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION", which was neither rendered in red nor bolded in the actual alert.

PDS Flash Flood Warning

PDS Flash Flood Warnings are issued when there is a higher than normal risk of widespread, life-threatening flash flooding. Like PDS Flash Flood Watches, they are issued by the local NWS Weather Forecast Offices, rather than the Storm Prediction Center. Recently, they have been issued as PDS Flash Flood Emergencies, most notably by the National Weather Service offices in Houston, TX and Corpus Christi, TX.

This warning was issued in the early morning hours of May 16, 2016 by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Corpus Christi, Texas. It also contains the Flash Flood Emergency phrase, which further underscores the risk of life-threatening flash flooding.

NOTE: The color of all text in the original alert issued was black, including the text "THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION", which was neither rendered in red nor bolded in the actual alert.

PDS Tornado Warning

PDS tornado warnings are currently issued on an experimental basis by the 38 National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices within the Central Region. The criteria for a PDS warning is when a tornado on the ground has been spotted or confirmed, or a significant tornado is expected (due to radar signatures). While the intention of this experimental warning may be to replace the loosely defined tornado emergency, PDS tornado warnings are structured as the second highest level of tornado warning within the Impact Based Warning system (an experiment – which also includes tags within warning products illustrating radar indications or physical observations of tornadoes, and damage potential – participated by the 33 Weather Forecast Offices within the Central Region, as well as eight additional offices within the Western, Eastern and Southern regions that began utilizing the system in the spring of 2014); a tornado emergency, the highest warning level, is used within the United States for destructive tornadoes approaching more densely populated areas. These are the first warnings issued with PDS wording, and like PDS flash flood watches, are issued by local forecast offices.

NOTE: The color of all text in the original alert issued was black, including the text "THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION", which was neither rendered in red nor bolded in the actual alert.

PDS Wind Chill Warning

PDS wind chill warnings are issued when there is an enhanced risk of frost bite, hypothermia, and eventually death due to extremely low wind chills. These warnings are issued by the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices rather than the Storm Prediction Center.

The PDS Wind Chill Warning shown below was issued by the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities on January 5, 2014.

NOTE: The color of all text in the original alert issued was black, except for the text "THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION", which was neither rendered in red nor bolded in the actual alert.

PDS Special Weather Statement

A special weather statement (SWS) is usually issued by the NWS for hazards that have not yet reached warning or advisory status or that do not have a specific code of their own.

The PDS Special Weather Statement below was issued by the National Weather Service in Buffalo, New York on December 11, 2013, regarding extreme amounts of lake effect snow to impact the defined area.

Other watches and warnings

While the use of PDS wording for other types of watches and warnings has not been used, PDS wording could theoretically be applied to any kind of watch or warning to alert the public to weather events where there exists an increased risk of loss of life or widespread damage to property. Such situations could include PDS watches or warnings for blizzards, ice storms, high winds, extreme heat, or fire danger. For example, on May 26, 2015 during the flood disaster in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, a flood warning was issued similar to a PDS flood warning stating "...this is a dangerous and life threatening situation...". A severe thunderstorm warning bulletin issued by the National Weather Service at Greenville-Spartanburg regarding a strong, tornadic storm system moving through the upstate of South Carolina contained the following: "These storms may cause serious injury, and significant property damage."