While NWS offices cover larger areas and tend to be regional, a good working relationship with their office and personnel can be helpful. They have trained expert staff and will provide more specific information upon request. The NWS Home Page is at . Forecasts, radar, satellite, and graphical forecasts are available here. Caution should be taken when using any radar or satellite picture, since training and education are required to know exactly what is being shown.

Both the NWS and local news stations target a wide gamut of weather users, from agricultural to marine and aviation interests. As a consequence, they may not be specific enough for some maintenance supervisors who have more advanced equipment available to use in their snow and ice control efforts. Equipment such as Roadway Weather Information System (RWIS) stations and de-icing and anti-icing capabilities require more specific forecasts.