National Weather Service Simplifies Cold Weather Alert System
The National Weather Service (NWS) has made significant changes to its cold weather alert system, aiming to simplify watches and warnings and prepare the public for dangerous conditions. The new changes went into effect on October 1 and will impact alerts as the country heads into the fall and winter seasons.
What’s Being Eliminated
Under the new system, the following phrases will be eliminated from use:
- Wind chill advisory
- Wind chill watch
- Wind chill warning
What’s Taking Their Place
Instead, the NWS will use more precise terminology:
- Cold weather advisory
- Extreme cold watch
- Extreme cold warning
In addition, the NWS will replace "hard freeze watches and warnings" with freeze watches and freeze warnings.
Understanding the Threat of Extreme Cold
According to officials, there is a common misconception where the dangers of extreme cold are tied to brisk winds, when in reality, cold can be dangerous with or without gusts involved. As a result, the NWS is aiming to simplify language and illustrate that cold at a certain level represents a serious threat.
How the New System Works
Wind chills will still be used in utilizing the new watches and warnings, but won’t be featured in the titles. Meteorologists with the NWS’s Chicago office have established thresholds for determining when to issue new cold weather advisories or extreme cold warnings. In the Chicago area, forecasted "apparent temperatures" of minus-20 degrees will result in the issuance of a "cold weather advisory." A forecasted "apparent temperature" of minus-30 degrees will result in the issuance of an "extreme cold watch" or "warning," depending on the circumstances and timing.
Heat Wave Alerts are Next
Similar thresholds will be put into place for alerts related to heat, according to NWS Chicago meteorologists.
Hazard Simplification Project
This is part of a "hazard simplification project," with the NWS seeking to use plain language to alert the public to potentially hazardous weather. "Watches" and "warnings" will be retained, but many advisories and special weather statements are expected to be eliminated from the service’s offerings.
Conclusion
The new phrasing was implemented after consultations with professional meteorologists and public engagement, according to NWS Chicago officials. The changes aim to simplify language and prepare the public for increasingly severe weather conditions.
FAQs
Q: What changes will be made to the cold weather alert system?
A: The NWS will eliminate phrases such as "wind chill advisory," "wind chill watch," and "wind chill warning," and replace them with more precise terms like "cold weather advisory," "extreme cold watch," and "extreme cold warning."
Q: Why are these changes being made?
A: The NWS is simplifying language to better prepare the public for increasingly severe weather conditions.
Q: Will wind chills still be used?
A: Yes, wind chills will still be used in utilizing the new watches and warnings, but won’t be featured in the titles.
Q: How will the new system work in the Chicago area?
A: In the Chicago area, forecasted "apparent temperatures" of minus-20 degrees will result in the issuance of a "cold weather advisory," while forecasted "apparent temperatures" of minus-30 degrees will result in the issuance of an "extreme cold watch" or "warning," depending on the circumstances and timing.
Q: What about heat wave alerts?
A: Similar thresholds will be put into place for alerts related to heat, according to NWS Chicago meteorologists.
