In an effort to simplify weather communication, the National Weather Service is renaming some terms when it comes to winter weather warnings. This is part of the Hazard Simplification initiative which has been in the works for years.
WHAT’S NEW:
Wind chill advisories, watches and warnings, will be a thing of the past. Those terms are being switched out for extreme cold watches and warnings along with cold weather advisories. The reason? Cold is cold, regardless of wind contributions.
Extreme cold watches will be issued when dangerously cold weather is possible.
Extreme cold warnings will be issued when dangerously cold weather is likely. This could lead to frostbite or hypothermia.
Cold weather accounts for 6% of weather-related fatalities over the last three decades. It doesn’t have to be windy for it to be dangerously cold. The National Weather Service says, “These changes seek to clarify that cold can be dangerous with or without wind, addressing a common misconception that extreme cold is only tied to colder temperatures when there is wind.”
