With colder weather approaching, the National Weather Service is reminding residents about an online forecasting tool designed to help communities better understand the potential impacts of snow and ice.

The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center is highlighting its Probabilistic Winter Storm Severity Index, which goes beyond traditional snowfall and ice accumulation forecasts to show how winter weather could affect travel, infrastructure and everyday activities.

The forecasting tool is not designed to predict whether Northwest Georgia will experience more or less winter weather during the upcoming season. Instead, when a winter storm becomes a possibility, it helps forecasters and residents understand how likely that particular storm is to cause problems, including hazardous travel, power outages and other disruptions.

Winter weather can present particular challenges in Northwest Georgia, where mountainous terrain, steep grades and winding rural roads can make travel hazardous. Snow and ice can also create difficulties for the Georgia Department of Transportation and local governments responsible for keeping roads safe and passable.

Conditions can vary considerably between higher elevations and nearby valleys, making detailed information about the potential impacts of a winter storm especially valuable for residents, emergency responders and road maintenance crews.

The forecasting system evaluates several factors, including snow accumulation, snow loading, ice accumulation and blowing snow, to estimate the severity of potential winter weather impacts.

The tool also provides probabilities for different levels of winter storm impacts, ranging from minor to extreme. This allows residents and emergency management officials to consider a range of possible outcomes rather than relying on a single forecast.

For Chattooga County residents, the information could be particularly useful when winter storms threaten travel across Taylor’s Ridge, Lookout Mountain and other elevated areas of Northwest Georgia.

The National Weather Service says the system can help people understand the likelihood of disruptive winter weather and prepare for possible hazardous road conditions, power outages and other impacts.

The Probabilistic Winter Storm Severity Index is available online at weather.gov/wssi-p.