2 satellite sectors moved
Critical Weather Day CRITICAL WEATHER DAY STATUS...
NWS does not currently expect to declare a Critical Weather Day in the next three days — no unusual operational precautions are planned.
A “Critical Weather Day” is an internal NWS operations posture. When one is declared, NWS postpones scheduled software, hardware and network changes at the affected offices so that nothing is disturbed while forecasters are working high-impact weather. Emergency changes still get made, but they need senior sign-off. It is a signal about how NWS is protecting its own systems — it is not a forecast or a warning, and it does not tell you anything about conditions where you live.
CWD outlook CRITICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK...
Looking three days ahead, NWS has flagged Friday (Caution...Tropical Cyclone) and Saturday (Caution...Tropical Cyclone). On flagged days NWS may hold off on scheduled system changes to keep its forecast systems stable.
- Friday Caution...Tropical Cyclone
- Saturday Caution...Tropical Cyclone
- Sunday None
Satellite moves MDS STATUS...
Each GOES weather satellite has two “mesoscale sectors” — small, movable windows that the satellite photographs roughly every 60 seconds, far more often than its routine full-disk and continental scans. Forecasters aim them at whatever is most important that day. This section announces where they are being pointed and for how long.
GOES-East is pointing mesoscale sector 1 at a point about 35 mi SE of Columbia, SC — to support severe thunderstorm and tornado forecasting. That means this patch of sky gets a fresh satellite image about once a minute instead of every 5 to 10 minutes, so forecasters can watch storms develop almost in real time.
- Centre point
- 33.7°N, 80.5°W view on map
- Window
- from until
- Reason given
- SPC severe weather operations
GOES-East is pointing mesoscale sector 2 at a point right around Des Moines, IA — to support severe thunderstorm and tornado forecasting. That means this patch of sky gets a fresh satellite image about once a minute instead of every 5 to 10 minutes, so forecasters can watch storms develop almost in real time.
- Centre point
- 41.8°N, 93.5°W view on map
- Window
- from until
- Reason given
- SPC severe weather operations
Show the original message
Exactly as NWS transmitted it. Everything above is our plain-English reading of this text — if the two ever disagree, this is the authoritative version.
000 NOUS42 KWNO 210904 ADMSDM SENIOR DUTY METEOROLOGIST NWS ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE NWS CENTRAL OPERATIONS COLLEGE PARK MD 0904Z FRI AUG 21 2026 CRITICAL WEATHER DAY STATUS... Critical Weather Day is not expected during the next 3 days. However, the need for CWD to support Tropical Cyclone operations across the Northern Mariana Islands continues to be monitored. The potential need for CWD to support Tropical Cyclone operations in Hawaii this weekend is also being monitored. CRITICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK... Friday - Caution...Tropical Cyclone. Saturday - Caution...Tropical Cyclone. Sunday - None. MDS STATUS... GOES-E MDS Sector 1 will be centered over 33.7N/80.5W from 12Z until 22/12Z in support of SPC severe weather operations. GOES-E MDS Sector 2 will be centered over 41.8N/93.5W from 12Z until 22/12Z in support of SPC severe weather operations. Ready/SDM/NCO