NWS Decision Support Services (DSS) Briefing Packets

NWS Decision Support Services (DSS) Briefing PacketsWhat DSS Packets are — written for emergency managers and event planners by your local NWS office before significant weather events.DSS (Decision Support Services) is the NWS program that provides briefing materials to emergency managers, public safety officials, and event planners ahead of significant weather. The packet is a PDF prepared by your local NWS forecasters with current conditions, key threats, and confidence levels — written for non-meteorologists making operational decisions.When packets are issued

Severe weather events (tornado / severe-thunderstorm outbreaks expected)

Winter storms (heavy snow, ice, or extreme cold)

Tropical systems (hurricanes / tropical storms in the forecast cone)

Heat or cold extremes (multi-day heat waves, arctic outbreaks)

Major outdoor events (parades, festivals, etc.)

What the dashboard showsWhen a packet is active, the dashboard displays the front-page thumbnail with a link to view the full PDF. Only the first page is rendered inline (the rest is dense meteorological detail aimed at trained users); the link opens the complete document.Part of the BloomWX learn library — beginner-friendly explainers covering every surface of the BloomWX weather dashboard. Open BloomWX to see live data for any U.S. county.