10.28.11 Winter Weather Awareness- Weather Terminology

Kerrin Jeromin

10.28.11 Winter Weather Awareness- Weather Terminology

Today's Winter Weather Awareness topic is one of the most important when it comes to understanding what will happen in the forecast, particularly during big winter storms or extreme weather. And with snow on the way, this is a good time to review your weather terminology. Understanding weather terminology used by the National Weather Service and local media can help you better understand the potential dangers ahead AND take necessary action when needed.

Here is the technical terminology for OUR area for certain terms that the National Weather Service may issue, in their own words:

DURING THE WINTER SEASON YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AT

BURLINGTON MAINTAINS A 24 HOUR WEATHER WATCH. VARIOUS TYPES OF

MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE SEASON INFORMING YOU OF

IMPENDING HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER AND HOW TO PREPARE FOR IT.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE TERMINOLOGY USED SO THAT

YOU CAN QUICKLY TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION NECESSARY TO SAVE LIVES

AND MINIMIZE DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.

A HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS GENERALLY ISSUED UP TO 7 DAYS IN

ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING WINTER STORM...WHEN FORECASTERS BELIEVE

THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF WINTER STORM CONDITIONS.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE

DEVELOPMENT OF HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER. WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT

WOULD PROMPT THE ISSUANCE OF A WATCH INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF

A BLIZZARD...SNOW ACCUMULATING 6 OR MORE INCHES...DAMAGING

ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE SUCH AS THE ICE STORM OF JANUARY 1998...OR

A COMBINATION OF THESE ELEMENTS. WINTER STORM WATCHES ARE TYPICALLY

ISSUED 12 TO 48 HOURS BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE WINTER STORM.

WHEN A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED...THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY

THAT HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER SUCH AS SNOW...SLEET...FREEZING

RAIN OR A COMBINATION OF THESE ELEMENTS IS IMMINENT OR IS ALREADY

IN PROGRESS. ALSO...A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING IS SPECIFICALLY

ISSUED FOR SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW DOWN WIND

OF THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES IN NEW YORK. MEANWHILE...AN ICE STORM

WARNING MAY BE ISSUED FOR EXPECTED ICE ACCUMULATION OF AN HALF

INCH OR GREATER. THESE WARNINGS ARE GENERALLY ISSUED 12 TO 24 HOURS

BEFORE THE WINTER STORM ARRIVES.

A BLIZZARD WARNING WILL BE ISSUED FOR ONLY THE MOST SEVERE WINTER

WEATHER CONDITIONS. IN A BLIZZARD...HEAVY SNOW AND WINDS OF AT

LEAST 35 MILES AN HOUR COMBINE TO CREATE VISIBILITIES AT OR

BELOW ONE QUARTER OF A MILE IN FALLING...BLOWING AND DRIFTING

SNOW...PERSISTING FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS.

A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF WIND

AND COLD PRODUCE WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES OF MINUS 30 DEGREES OR

COLDER. AT SUCH TEMPERATURES EXPOSED FLESH CAN EXPERIENCE

FROSTBITE IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES.

A HIGH WIND WARNING WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF PERSISTENT

WINDS OF 40 MILES AN HOUR OR GREATER OR FREQUENT GUSTS IN EXCESS OF

58 MILES AN HOUR.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR 4 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW

OR FOR SIGNIFICANT ICING ON EXPOSED SURFACES SUCH AS ROADS...

SIDEWALKS...POWER LINES AND TREES TO POSE A HAZARD...BUT FALL SHORT

OF WARNING CRITERIA. SPECIFIC WINTER TYPE ADVISORIES SUCH AS A

A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY OR AN FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MAY BE

ISSUED AS WELL.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF WIND AND

COLD PRODUCE WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 20 AND 29 DEGREES BELOW

ZERO. AT THESE TEMPERATURES EXPOSED FLESH CAN EXPERIENCE FROSTBITE

IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES.

A WIND ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF PERSISTENT

WINDS BETWEEN 31 AND 39 MILES AN HOUR...OR FREQUENT GUSTS IN EXCESS

OF 45 MILES AN HOUR.

Now that you know all the terminology, you can know how to best prepare yourself, and know when you should be "taking action" (be it staying off the roads, or bundling up,etc...).

You can always find any active watches, warnings, or advisories on our website (they will scroll at the top of the webpage), or you can find them right on the National Weather Services website here.

**Now for your pop quiz...there was a winter storm watch issued for some of our southern Vermont counties today....what does that mean? When will the snow start? When is it in effect until? All of these details are, in most cases, all you really want to know when listening to a forecast, right? So by studying up and learning more about each term, all your questions of impending bad weather can be answered.

FOX44 - Burlington / Plattsburgh News, Weather & Sports10.28.11 Winter Weather Awareness- Weather Terminology

10.28.11 Winter Weather Awareness- Weather Terminology