The new Policy Management interface makes it simple to create, customize, and manage your organization’s weather safety policies. Each policy includes interactive controls, notifications, and user assignments—all in one place.
Navigating the Policy Tab
- Access the Policy tab in the left-hand sidebar.
- On the left, you’ll see all existing policies (lightning, heat, precipitation, wind, air quality, etc.), each with its own icon.
- Selecting a policy opens a visual gauge with interactive sliders to adjust thresholds.
- Use the View Historical button to go directly to the reporting page.
Creating a New Policy
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Creating new policies
- Click New Policy in the top right hand corner of the policies page
- Give it a name (e.g., Lightning Ops Policy).
- Select the weather variable you want (e.g., lightning).
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Set Risk Levels
- Adjust thresholds using sliders, toggles, or by typing exact values.
- Example: Lightning alerts at 8 miles and 15 miles.
- Each risk level is shown visually with animations and cards.
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Policy-specific limits:
- Lightning: Minimum of 2 miles, maximum of 50 miles.
- WBGT, Heat Index, Wind Chill: Have a minimum value you cannot go below.
- Other policies: No maximum — sliders have a cap, but you can manually type in higher values to extend beyond.
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Adding risk levels:
- All policies except lightning support more than 3 risk levels.
- Once you reach the 4th level, click Add Risk Levels to add up to 8 total.
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Configure Notifications
- Use the Notify dropdown to manage alert timing.
- Options include:
- Change the all clear timer to match your policy (e.g., 30 minutes).
- Turn off notifications entirely.
- Add custom message text (preview available).
- Once your selected weather variable has met the defined threshold, the policy is triggered and the selected users will receive your custom notification.
- After the all-clear period passes, users receive an all-clear message.
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Assign the Policy
- Assign to locations and user groups.
- Policies can be required (must assign at least one user group) or optional.
- Example: Assign to “Operations” and “Supervisors” user groups.
- Users in the selected groups must comply with the policy if “required” is toggled on.
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Save
- Click Save Policy.
- The policy appears in your list and automatically applies to assigned groups and locations.
Using Policy Templates
Policy templates let you create a policy in just a few clicks. Each template comes with the weather variable, risk level thresholds, and alert message already set up, so you don't have to configure them by hand.
There are two types of templates:
- Compliance templates are built to match a governing body's requirements. For example, Texas high schools are required to monitor WBGT under UIL rules. Because Texas is split into two zones, there is a separate UIL template for each zone.
- General templates cover common setups, like lightning alert radii. These reflect the settings most Perry Weather customers use.
Important: General templates are not recommended distances or safety guidance. Review them against your organization's safety plan before using them, and adjust the thresholds as needed.
Creating a Policy from a Template
- Select a template
- Click New Policy in the top right hand corner of the policies page, then select “Use a template”.
- Choose the template you want to use. If you’re having difficulty finding your template, use the search bar to narrow down your search.
- Review the policy
- The weather variable, thresholds, and alert message are filled in automatically based on the template.
- Assign and save
- Assign the policy to locations and user groups, then click Save Policy, the same as you would for any new policy.
Staying Compliant with Compliance Templates
When you use a compliance template and leave the thresholds as they're set, your policy displays a Meets Requirements badge.
If you change any thresholds, a message will appear letting you know the change will take your policy out of compliance. The Meets Requirements badge only appears on policies that keep the template's original thresholds.
Creating National Weather Service (NWS) Policies
Perry Weather also supports the creation of NWS Policies.
To enable or customize your NWS alerts, navigate to the Policy tab and click New Policy. Give your new NWS policy a name, and follow these steps to configure your settings:
- Choose the Weather Variable: Select “National Weather Service” from the available weather variables.
- Select Alert Types: Choose one or more alert categories to monitor. We have grouped NWS alerts into 11 distinct categories.
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Set the Severity Level: Select the minimum urgency level you wish to be notified about.
- Options: Statement (Lowest) → Advisory → Watch → Warning (Highest)
- How it Works: Selecting a severity level includes all alerts at that level and higher. For example, selecting “Watch” will alert you for both Watches and Warnings, but not advisories.
- Notifications: Ensure the notification toggle is in the ON position to receive alerts.
Note: The number of severity levels available (1-4) varies depending on the specific alert type.
Managing Policies
- Locked Policies: Assigned policies appear locked for users in the group. They can view but not edit them. However, users can still create custom locations and toggle any policies (required or optional) on and off for their custom location.
- Optional Policies: Users can enable or disable any optional policies not locked by an administrator.
- Disable a Policy: Flip the toggle to deactivate without deleting. Disabled policies show as gray.
- Delete a Policy: Permanently remove it from the system.
Important Notes
- Policies now support multiple risk levels (e.g., 8, 15, 30 miles).
- Admins must create a separate policy if they want a single threshold only (e.g., just 10 miles).
- At least one lightning policy is required for countdown timers to function. Other weather types are optional.
- Alerts can be disabled globally if needed.