Winter Weather Terms

Are you familiar with these weather terms?  Knowing what each means may help keep both you and your client safe during times when there is a risk of severe weather:

An Outlook is a forecast concerning potential storms. The announcement will be vague and there is no certainty of poor weather, but there is a concern that something may be on the way.

A Watch is given when there is risk of a storm within the next 12 to 48 hours.  There is a good chance that a watch can turn into a warning, so make sure you are properly prepared.

A Warning is given by the weather service when a storm event is happening, will soon arrive or when the chances are very high that it will begin. Warnings are meant to alert people that a potentially life-threatening storm is coming so they can take appropriate measures.

An Advisory is the exact same as a warning—there is a storm or weather event occurring or about to happen.  However, with an advisory, there is no perceived risk of death or damage to property.

A Short-term forecast will be given to update the news of a current condition, and any changes happening in the next 1 to 6 hours.