Issue 140 – October 2024
Inspire action with plain language alerts
To be clear that cold can be a serious threat with or without wind, the term “wind chill” is no longer used in official cold weather warnings in the U.S.
As fall hurtles towards winter, people are talking about the return of sweaters and cozy blankets and pumpkin spice lattes.
But the folks at the U.S. National Weather Service are preparing for incoming cold weather by talking about plain language, of all things.
It seems people don’t necessarily pay attention to warnings about cold weather. Or maybe they don’t understand how serious a “wind chill watch” is. Yet cold weather can be deadly. As the NWS says, “people exposed to extreme cold are susceptible to frostbite and can succumb to hypothermia in minutes.”
So on October 1, the NWS launched its “hazard simplification project.” The idea was to provide “better decision support” (jargon alert!), presumably so people would make better decisions about dressing for the cold.
The project means using plainer language in the NWS “suite of cold weather products” (more jargon!) to alert the public to extreme cold. Thus one of the changes to be clear that cold weather can be a serious threat with or without wind is that the term “wind chill” is no longer used*:
- “Wind Chill Watch” and “Extreme Cold Watch” are combined to become “Extreme Cold Watch.”
- “Wind Chill Warning” and “Extreme Cold Warning” become “Extreme Cold Warning.”
- “Wind Chill Advisory” is now “Cold Weather Advisory.”
The changes respond to a survey that showed the wire services and other weather partners were all for simpler messages. In the “wheels of government change move slowly” files, the survey goes back to 2021.
(*Note that in Canada, we still love knowing our wind chill. Maybe it’s windier up here? Our government says our wind chill index is accurate, easy to understand and represents the degree of "chill" that your skin senses. A survey indicated that 82% of Canadians use wind chill information to decide how to dress before going outside in the winter.)
Coincidentally, October 13 was Plain Language Day. As I’ve said before, the super power of plain language is bringing together words, structure and design so your readers can:
- Find what they need
- Understand what they find the first time they read it
- Use what they find to meet their needs.
The National Weather Service followed the plain language advice to “Use clear, straightforward expressions” to improve understanding. I’m not sure how they plan to measure any improvement but let’s hope there is some.
Have you run across any great examples of plain writing? Or writing that cries out for a little plain language love? Please share! I’m always looking for good (bad) examples.
Related reading:
Editors Canada explains plain language in 2 minutes
Tips on structure and word choice for plain language
In the Red Jacket Diaries:
Choose short, familiar words to be understood
Assignment: Find out how retirees use their power of creativity
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