A Special Weather Statement (Codename SPS with FEMA and National Weather Service) is a form of weather advisory. Special Weather Statements are issued by the National Weather Service of the United States (the NWS) and the Meteorological Service of Canada (the MSC). There are no set criteria for special weather statements in either country.
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United States
A Special Weather Statement may be 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, such as widespread funnel clouds. They are also occasionally used to clear counties from severe weather watches. A common form of special weather statement is a significant weather alert. Occasionally special weather statements appear as heat advisories. An EAS activation can and may be requested on very rare occasions.
United States: Other Uses
Special Weather Statements may also be issued for possible fire weather conditions, such as an enhanced risk. They even can be issued for rain/snow that may hit Advisory criteria such as snow being one inch that isn't going to likely pose a threat. Sometimes Special Weather Statements may be issued to update on current weather conditions, but that is sometimes issued by a Short Term Forecast.
Examples of an American Special Weather Statement
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 1022 PM CDT WED SEP 30 2015 NDZ012-021-010400- MCHENRY ND-MCLEAN ND- 1022 PM CDT WED SEP 30 2015 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN MCLEAN AND SOUTH CENTRAL MCHENRY COUNTIES... AT 1021 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BENEDICT...OR 25 MILES EAST OF GARRISON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. PENNY SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BUTTE...RUSO AND STRAWBERRY LAKE. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. && LAT...LON 4785 10054 4785 10058 4770 10059 4764 10092 4778 10105 4793 10073 TIME...MOT...LOC 0321Z 244DEG 14KT 4774 10088 $$ ABELING SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 426 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-280015- ARKANSAS-BAXTER-BOONE-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND- CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING- INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE- MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE- PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE- WOODRUFF-YELL- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALTHEIMER...AMITY...ARKADELPHIA... ARKANSAS CITY...ASH FLAT...AUGUSTA...AVILLA...BATESVILLE... BAUXITE...BEARDEN...BEE BRANCH...BEEBE...BENTON...BISMARCK... BONNERDALE...BOONEVILLE...BRINKLEY...BRYANT...BULL SHOALS... CABOT...CALICO ROCK...CAMDEN...CAVE CITY...CENTER RIDGE... CHIDESTER...CLARENDON...CLARKSVILLE...CLINTON...CONWAY... COTTON PLANT...DANVILLE...DARDANELLE...DE VALLS BLUFF...DE WITT... DEER...DES ARC...DONALDSON...DRASCO...DUMAS...EL PASO...ENGLAND... FAIRFIELD BAY...FLIPPIN...FORDYCE...FOURCHE JUNCTION... GASSVILLE...GEORGETOWN...GILLETT...GLENWOOD...GOULD...GRADY... GRAVELLY...GREENBRIER...GREERS FERRY...GURDON...HAMPTON...HARDY... HARRISON...HASKELL...HAZEN...HEBER SPRINGS...HECTOR...HERMITAGE... HORSESHOE BEND...HOT SPRINGS...HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE...HOUSTON... HUMNOKE...HUMPHREY...JACKSONVILLE...JASPER...JESSIEVILLE... KINGSLAND...LACEY...LEAD HILL...LEOLA...LESLIE...LITTLE ROCK... LONOKE...MALVERN...MAMMOTH SPRING...MARSHALL...MAUMELLE... MAYFLOWER...MCCRORY...MCGEHEE...MELBOURNE...MENA...MONTICELLO... MORO BAY...MORRILTON...MOUNT IDA...MOUNT MAGAZINE... MOUNTAIN HOME...MOUNTAIN VIEW...MURFREESBORO...NEWPORT... NORFORK...NORMAN...NORTH LITTLE ROCK...OIL TROUGH...OKOLONA... OLA...OMAHA...OXFORD...OZONE...PARIS...PARON...PELSOR... PERRYVILLE...PINE BLUFF...PINE RIDGE...PLEASANT PLAINS...POYEN... PRATTSVILLE...REDFIELD...RISON...ROHWER...ROSE BUD... RUSSELLVILLE...SALEM...SEARCY...SHERIDAN...SHERWOOD...STAR CITY... STEPHENS...STUTTGART...SUMMIT...SWIFTON...THORNTON...TUCKERMAN... VILONIA...VIOLA...WALDRON...WARREN...WESTERN GROVE...WICKES... WRIGHTSVILLE...Y CITY...YELLVILLE 426 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011 ...COLD AIR FUNNELS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON... THE ENVIRONMENT THIS AFTERNOON HAS BECOME FAVORABLE FOR COLD AIR FUNNEL CLOUDS AS AN AREA OF UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE MOVES THROUGH. COLD AIR FUNNELS RARELY REACH THE GROUND AND GENERALLY POSE LITTLE THREAT. $$Canada
Special Weather Statements are issued by the MSC for weather events that are unusual or those that cause general inconvenience or public concern and cannot adequately be described in a weather forecast. These may include widespread events such as Arctic outflows, Alberta clippers, coastal fog banks, areas of possible thunderstorm development, and strong winds such as chinooks and les suetes winds. They are written in a free style and may also reflect warnings in effect near the United States border.