Severe Weather Watches and Warnings

• Wind chill – this is called the wind chill factor or wind chill index. This is a number gotten by the absolute temperature outside plus the amount of wind in the area. It gives you a better example of how much faster your skin would freeze compared to low temperatures without wind.

SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS

Now that you know something about bad weather, let's look at the types of watches and warnings you would issue when bad weather threatened others. We will talk much more about some of these weather issues in a later chapter. As you know, many storm related events are posted in the media as advisories, watches, or warnings. You will need to know the difference between these different designations.

There are several broad categories of watches and warnings according to the National Weather Service. These include the following:

• Severe local storms – these can be any local storm, such as a tornado or thunderstorm

• Winter weather – these would be any alerts related to winter weather phenomena, such as sleet, snow, or ice.

• Fire related weather – these include giving warnings when it is likely that fire could develop.

• Flood related weather – these can be related to coastal flooding or river flooding.

You can also include urban flooding as part of this.

• Coastal or Lakeshore hazards – these are things related to living near a shore line and can also include riptides and high surf warnings.

• Marine hazards – this could include freezing spray or any type of hazardous sea travel experience.

• Tropical cyclone hazards – these can include storm surges, marine-related tornadoes, or any marine related winds that could cause property damage.