NWS Winter Storm Guide: Preparing for Weekend Weather Alerts
- Different regions might define the terms differently, the NWS told NPR. Georgia, for example, may have different criteria than North Dakota about what's considered "extreme cold," since residents...
- "You will probably find there's going to be a certain amount of regionalization that is necessary," NWS forecaster richard Bann said.
- People can find the notices that have been issued by their local NWS office by searching their zip code on the NWS homepage.
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People can find the notices that have been issued by their local NWS office by searching their zip code on the NWS homepage. Here’s a guide on how to sift through some of those notices, and what to anticipate in order to stay safe.
Winter storm watch
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As of about 4:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, winter storm watches are in effect for a large swath of the country, extending from new Mexico, through Texas, then northeast to the Carolinas and West Virginia.
These recommendations are deployed when “confidence is medium” that a storm is on the way, the NWS says. People should start preparing for the heavy snow, sleet and ice that could accumulate and bring “significant impacts” like slick roads and downed power lines, Bann said.
A powerful winter storm is barreling across the country, bringing heavy snow, ice and dangerously cold temperatures. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for new York City, where up to 28 inches of snow will fall through friday, and winds could reach gusts up to 35 miles per hour, “creating blowing and drifting snow and at times white out conditions,” NWS says.
The agency says visibility will be low and is cautioning residents to drive slowly.
Extreme cold watch
For this notice, dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills could happen, but forecasters aren’t able to pinpoint when and where yet, the NWS says.
The weather service says people should try to avoid being outside during the coldest points of the day, have at least half a tank of gas in their cars and update their winter survival kits.
Extreme cold watches were scattered around the country as of about 5:20 p.m. ET Wednesday, including in the Northeast, Great Lakes area and spots in Montana and Texas.
NWS offices are warning their regions to take precautions to protect their homes, too.The NWS office in the Fort Worth and Dallas area, for example, is also encouraging residents to cover their exterior faucets, leave indoor faucets dripping with the cabinets open and know how to locate the water shut-off valve in their homes before Friday. Temperatures there could range from 0 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit from friday to Tuesday.
Extreme cold warning
Extreme cold warnings were in effect in parts of north Dakota, much of Minnesota and Wisconsin as of Wednesday evening.These are issued when “extremely hazardous cold conditions or wind chill values are expected or occurring,” the NWS says.
