A Deeper Look at How Stakeholders Communicate Winter Road Hazards

Winter precipitation hazards lead to 1,000 motorist fatalities annually, one-third of which occur in an official NWS Watch, Warning or Advisory. This statistic emphasizes the critical need to enhance existing communication methods within the winter weather enterprise to more effectively reach and inform communities in the future. Given the collaborative nature between the NWS and practitioners, it is essential to develop joint solutions that are both effective and impactful.

To better understand how stakeholders interpret and communicate weather information related to winter road hazards, we conducted focus groups comprising participants from a diverse group of professional backgrounds and experiences. This includes the Department of Transportation, school district representatives, emergency managers, etc. We divided focus groups into two parts to explore: (1) the flow of weather information from the NWS to stakeholders and (2) how stakeholders utilized NWS products and information.

Through a qualitative thematic analysis, we identified communication gaps between the two groups and proposed ways to address them. We also provide recommendations to better equip stakeholders for future winter weather decision-making.