#MEwx Cold, sunny and the difference between weather alerts, watches warnings and advisories

Good morning Augusta

A direct, real-time feed from my personal weather station is available for you here.

Today it’s going to be sunny with highs in the lower 30s. Northwest winds will be around 10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph.

Tonight we’ll have clear skies with lows around 11°F. Light and variable winds.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Our outdoor temperature is 17.4°F, the humidity is 30% and the Dew Point is -8.9°F.

The wind direction is North Northwest between 6.3 MPH and 7.9 MPH with a wind chill of 17.2°F.  

The Relative pressure is 30.39, the Absolute pressure is 30.19 and rising with a weather graphic indicating cold and sun.

Visibility is 10.0 Miles / 16.1 Kilometers with clear skies.

The UV rating is 1 out of 16, Sunrise is 6:35 AM Sunset is 4:11 PM, Moonrise is 7:36 PM, moonset is 10:30

AM and the moon phase is Waning gibbous. 

The RAW METAR readings from Augusta’s airport are:

METAR KAUG 161253Z AUTO VRB06KT 10SM CLR M08/M17 A3047 RMK AO2 SLP322 T10831167

We didn’t receive any snow or rain here over the past 24 hours.

Ever wonder what the difference is between a weather watch, weather warning and weather advisory? Well wonder no more, it’s all explained below in this reproduced article.

Watch vs. warning vs. advisory - what's the difference?

Mr. Wayne Mahar published the following back in 2017, and it’s simple to understand and logical. Thanks to his writing, I’m reproducing it here for you information.

Warning, Wind Advisory, Freezing Rain Advisory| we TMve heard

all of these before and will hear them again. So which of these should have us taking life saving measures and which should we all but ignore? Well, a

lot of the time it comes down to whether it is an Advisory, a Watch or a Warning.

No matter what the actual weather you are dealing with is, here is the basic rule of thumb:

WATCH essentially means a chance this condition will happen and usually covers a large geographical area for a lengthy time period.

WARNING means the said weather is already occurring or is likely to occur and to take proper protective measures. Warnings are usually issued for much

smaller geographical areas and usually for shorter more definite time periods.

ADVISORIES are sort of in between a WATCH and WARNING. The expected weather condition has a pretty good chance of occurring, even a likely chance of occurring,

but typically an advisory is used for less severe type of weather conditions. A Wind Advisory might be issued or a Freezing Rain Advisory issued instead

of a High Wind Warning or an ice Storm Warning.

Yes, it can get confusing, even to meteorologists. There are a multitude of advisories, watches and warnings, all of which were developed by the good folks at the National Weather Service. Below I am listing mainly winter terms courtesy of the National Weather Service.

1) WINTER STORM OUTLOOK

This is a statement issued when there is a chance of a major winter storms from 3 to 5 days in the future. This is meant to assist people with their long

range plans. However, since the outlook is issued so far in advance, the accuracy of the prediction may be limited.

2) WINTER STORM WATCH

This means there may be hazardous winter weather due to various elements such as heavy snow, sleet, or ice accumulation from freezing rain. In our region,

heavy snow means 7 inches or more of accumulation in 24 hours or less. A "WATCH" is a long range prediction. They are issued at least 12 hours before the

hazardous winter weather is expected to begin. When the storm becomes imminent, or has a high probability of occurring, the watch will be upgraded to a

"WARNING".

3) WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW

Seven inches or more of snow will fall within a 24 hour period.

4) WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SEVERE ICING

Heavy accumulation of ice due to freezing rain will down trees and power lines. Electricity, or telephone communications, may be out for a long period

of time. Roads may become impassable for most vehicles.

5) BLIZZARD WARNING

This is issued for a combination of strong winds averaging or frequently gusting to, or above, 35 miles an hour and very low visibility due to blowing

or falling snow. These are the most dangerous winter storms and can be especially severe when combined with temperatures below 10 degrees.

6) WINTER STORM WARNING

This is issued when a dangerous combination of heavy snow, with sleet and/or freezing rain, will occur or has a high probability of occurring within the

next 12 hours.

7) HIGH WIND WARNING

This means the expected winds will average 40 miles an hour or more for at least 1 hour or winds gusts will be greater than 58 miles an hour. Trees and

power lines can be blown down. A High Wind Warning may be preceded by a HIGH WIND WATCH if the strong winds are not expected to occur for at least 12 hours.

8) WIND CHILL WARNING

This means life threatening cold with wind chill temperatures computed to be -40 degrees or less for at least 3 hours. Exposure to this combination of

strong winds and low temperatures without protective clothing will quickly lead to frostbite and/or hypothermia. Longer exposures can be fatal.

9) WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW

This is issued for snowfall greater than 4 (but less than 7) inches in a 24 hour period. The snowfall is usually expected to begin within the next 12 hours.

10) BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY

This is issued when the visibility will be significantly reduced, or when the roads become snow covered over a large area.

11) WIND CHILL ADVISORY

This is issued for cold temperatures and winds, with wind chill temperatures computed to be -25 degrees or less for at least 3 hours. Exposure to this

combination of strong winds and low temperatures without protective clothing can lead to frostbite and/or hypothermia, Prolonged exposure may be fatal.

12) WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

This is issued for a combination of snow, sleet, and/or freezing rain. Advisories, in general, are issued for weather conditions that are expected to cause

significant inconveniences and may be hazardous, These situations are normally not life threatening if caution is exercised.

13) WIND ADVISORY

This is issued for average wind speeds between 31 and 39 miles an hour, or for frequent wind gusts between 46 and 57 miles an hour.

THERE ARE OTHER WINTER WEATHER HAZARDS UNIQUE TO SPECIFIC PORTIONS OF OUR REGION :

 

14) LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH

A Lake Effect Snow Watch is issued when there is a possibility of heavy lake effect snow (accumulating 7 inches of more within a 12 hour period). Lake

effect snow usually occurs in narrow bands over limited areas. The watch is issued at least 12 hours before the snow is expected to begin, however its

occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain.

15) LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING

This is issued when heavy lake effect snow is occurring, is imminent, or has a very high probability of occurring within the next 12 hours. The snow is

expected to accumulate at least 7 inches with strong winds producing much high drifts. This is similar to a Winter Storm Warning for Heavy Snow, except

Great Lakes induced squalls/showers occur in narrow bands and over limited areas. Lake effect snow squalls/showers can occur quite suddenly and cause blizzard-like

conditions.

16) LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY

A Lake Effect Snow Advisory is issued for Great Lakes induced snowfall in western and central New York totaling between 4 and 7 inches in a 12 hour period.

Blowing and drifting snow is also common in relatively limited areas and in narrow bands.