BE PREPARED FOR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER

WATCH = Be alert!

 WARNING = Take action !

WINTER WEATHER  

  • BLIZZARD WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when snow and strong winds will combine to produce blinding snow (visibility near zero / whiteouts) and deep snow drifts.
  • LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when lake induced snows of 7+ inches are expected. 
  • LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when lake induced snows of 7+ inches are possible within the next day or two.
  • LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when lake induced snows of 4+ inches are expected.
  • WIND CHILL ADVISORY - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when potentially dangerous wind chill readings are expected.
    • 15 to 24 degrees below zero: Berkshire, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Litchfield & Ulster counties.
    • 20 to 29 degrees below zero: Albany, Bennington, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Schenectady, Washington, Warren & Windham counties.
  • WIND CHILL WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when life-threatening wind chill readings are expected.
    • 25 degrees below zero or lower: Berkshire, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Litchfield & Ulster counties.
    • 30 degrees below zero or lower: Albany, Bennington, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Schenectady, Washington, Warren & Windham counties.
  • WIND CHILL WATCH - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when life-threatening wind chill readings are possible.
  • WINTER STORM WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when severe winter conditions are expected. Heavy Snow Warning: 7+ inches. Ice Storm Warning: 1/2 inch or more.
  • WINTER STORM WATCH - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when severe winter conditions (heavy snow and/or significant ice accumulations) are possible within the next day or two.
  • WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when winter conditions (snow, sleet and/or freezing rain/ice) are expected to cause significant inconvenience and may be hazardous. Snow Advisory: 4-6 inches. Freezing Rain, Drizzle or Sleet Advisory: any accretion of ice on roads but less than a 1/2 inch.

WIND  

  • HIGH WIND WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when sustained wind speeds of 40 mph or greater lasting for one hour or longer or for winds of 58 mph or greater for any duration are expected.
  • HIGH WIND WATCH - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when sustained wind speeds of 40 mph or greater lasting for one hour or longer or for winds of 58 mph or greater for any duration are possible.
  • WIND - the movement of air from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure. The greater the difference in pressure the stronger the winds. Wind direction is defined by the direction it is coming from.
  • WIND ADVISORY - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when sustained wind speeds of 31 to 39 mph lasting for one hour or longer or for winds of 46 to 57 mph for any duration are expected.

FLOODING    

  • TYPES OF FLOODING - coastal, dam failures, ice jams, rivers, small streams, and urban.
  • FLASH FLOOD WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when flooding will create an immediate threat to life and/or property. Generally occurring in a time period of less than 6 hours.
  • FLOOD WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when flooding will occur in a time period generally greater than 6 hours.
  • FLOOD WATCH - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when the potential for flooding exists.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS

  • HAIL - ball of ice that falls from a cumulonimbus cloud/thunderstorm.
  • SEVERE THUNDERSTORM - a thunderstorm which produces
    • hail 3/4 of an inch or greater
    • winds greater than 58 mph
    • damage to trees, telephone/utility poles or any structure
    • tornado
  • SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when severe weather is imminent or occurring. A warning is issued for a county or part of a county and is usually in effect for about an hour.
  • SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH - issued by the Storm Prediction Center when severe thunderstorms are possible in and near the watch area (box). The watch is issued for a large area and is usually in effect for several hours.

TORNADOES

  • FUJITA TORNADO SCALE:
    • F0     40  to  72 mph    light damage
    • F1     73  to 112 mph   moderate damage
    • F2    113 to 157 mph   considerable damage
    • F3    158 to 206 mph   severe damage
    • F4    207 to 260 mph   devastating damage
    • F5    261 to 318 mph   incredible damage
  • FUNNEL-CLOUD - a funnel-shaped cloud extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm which is rapidly rotating and does NOT come into contact with the ground or objects on the ground.
  • TORNADO - a funnel-shaped cloud extending downward from the base of a severe thunderstorm which is rapidly rotating and comes into contact with the ground or any objects on the ground.
  • TORNADO WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when a tornado is imminent or occurring. A warning is issued for a county or part of a county and is usually in effect for about an hour.
  • TORNADO WATCH - issued by the Storm Prediction Center when severe thunderstorms may produce tornadoes and near the watch area (box). The watch is issued for a large area and is usually in effect for several hours.
  • WATERSPOUT - a tornado that occurs over the waters.

HEAT

  • EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when it is possible for the heat index to exceed 115 degrees for any length of time during the day or the heat index will be equal to or exceed 105 degrees for more than 3 hours in a day for at least 2 consecutive days.
  • EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when the heat index is expected to exceed 115 degrees for any length of time during the day or the heat index will be equal to or exceed 105 degrees for more than 3 hours in a day for at least 2 consecutive days.
  • HEAT ADVISORY - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when the heat index is expected to exceed 105 degrees but be less 115 degrees than for less than 3 hours in a day and/or when nighttime lows are forecast to remain above 80 degrees for 2 consecutive days.
  • HEAT INDEX - what the temperature feels like to the human body based on both the air temperature and humidity.
  • HUMIDITY - the measured amount of moisture in the air.

OTHER DEFINITIONS

  • DENSE FOG ADVISORY - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office for the occurrence of widespread fog which reduces visibility to 1/4 mile or less.
  • FREEZE WARNING - issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when temperatures of 32 degrees or below are expected over an extensive area for a significant period of time (several hours) during the growing season.
  • FROST ADVISORY issued by your local NWS Forecast Office when widespread frost is expected during the growing season.