Learn about forecast products The Hurricane Network issues.
The Tropical Cyclone Outlook is a routine product that is issued to outline weather disturbances that have the potential to become a tropical cyclone within a 7-day period. This product is issued at 2 AM EDT, 8 AM EDT, 2 PM EDT, and 8 PM EDT, the products will be issued an hour earlier when daylight savings time ends. Special Tropical Cyclone Outlooks can be issued when necessary, during the off-season as well as when there is a significant change in the forecast. Accompanied by the text product is a graphical product, this graphical product can be found on the interactive map on the front page of The Hurricane Network’s website.
The public advisory text product is issued when there is an active tropical cyclone within the Northern Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico. The advisory includes a summary of current information relating to the cyclone, active watches and warnings from government agencies, a brief seven-day forecast, and information related to hazards affecting land. When a cyclone is active, advisory products are issued every six hours with two hourly intermediate updates when watches and warnings are issued. If there is a significant change in the cyclone, a special advisory package could be issued at any time.
The discussion product is issued at the same time as the previously mentioned Public Tropical Cyclone Advisory product. This product gives a technical background and forecast of an active tropical cyclone. Forecasters will use this product to detail what changes were made to the advisories, concerns, and a look into the future of the system. Included at the bottom of the discussion are key messages, if necessary. The key messages are given to the general public relating to significant impacts and guidance on impending impacts to a tropical system. This product is issued every six hours and if there is a significant change in the cyclone, a special advisory package could be issued at any time.
These update products are issued in between scheduled advisory products for minor updates in a tropical cyclone forecast or intensity that does not require special advisory issuance. At times, Tropical Cyclone Updates will be issued hourly for a significant tropical system affecting the United States while the center of the system is trackable by land-based weather radar.
A special weather statement is issued at the discretion of the forecaster on duty. This product will discuss unusual weather conditions and systems within The Hurricane Network’s area of responsibility. The special weather statements are typically issued for non-tropical weather systems as well as hazardous wind conditions. These statements are not scheduled and can be issued at any time.
A forecaster typically issues a Public Information Statement when The Hurricane Network is experiencing technical issues which could result in delayed issuances of products. A Public Information Statement will also be issued when there are upcoming changes to The Hurricane Network products within a one month period.