INDIANAPOLIS — The National Weather Service is adding a new level of urgency to certain winter weather warnings. Starting with the 2026–2027 winter season, Blizzard Warnings and Ice Storm Warnings may include the phrase “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” or PDS. The label will be used when forecasters have high confidence in a rare, extreme, and potentially historic winter weather event. It will be saved for exceptional situations that pose a significant threat to life and property.
What the PDS Label Means
A Particularly Dangerous Situation label tells people that a storm is far beyond a typical winter event. It means forecasters are very confident the storm will be extreme and historic in nature. The goal is to help people quickly understand when a warning is especially serious.
Regular winter storm warnings are issued many times each season. A PDS label will be much less common. When it appears, it signals that the danger is higher than usual and that people need to take action.
Used Only for Blizzards and Ice Storms
The new label will only appear on Blizzard Warnings and Ice Storm Warnings. Blizzards bring strong winds and blowing snow that can drop visibility to near zero. Ice storms coat roads, trees, and power lines with heavy ice.
Both types of storms can cause widespread power outages, dangerous travel, and long-lasting impacts. Major blizzards can strand drivers on highways for hours. Severe ice storms can bring down trees and leave communities without power for days.
Borrowed From Severe Weather Warnings
The PDS wording is not completely new. Forecasters have used it for years with some tornado watches and severe thunderstorm watches. In those cases, it highlights outbreaks with an unusually high risk of strong tornadoes…