Starting this year, the National Weather Service offices will be simplifying the advisories, watches, and warnings issued for the winter season.
We already got a taste of this as we had our first freeze watches and freeze warnings issued. We saw temps that eclipsed the criteria for each, so we will no longer have any more issued this season. But the upcoming spring in 2025, we will no longer see any “hard freeze watches” or “hard freeze warnings”. These will be rolled into the “freeze watch” and “freeze warning” heading instead.
In addition, something we will notice this winter with cold and wind, we will have simplified wind chill headings. “Wind Chill Advisory” will now be called “Cold Weather Advisory”. No longer will we have “wind chill watch” or “wind chill warnings” issued. They will now fall under the “Extreme Cold Watch” or “Extreme Cold Warning” headings.
WINTER TEMPERATURE CRITERIA CHANGING TOO:
This season, if the air temperature, or the wind chill temperature hit certain readings.
If the air temperature, or the wind chill temperatures get even colder, “Extreme Cold Watch” or an “Extreme Cold Warning” will be issued, depending on which county you live in.
As always, Storm Team 4 will keep you ahead of the cold weather and alert you with Weather Alert Days when extreme cold or winter weather is expected in your neighborhood.
-Dave
