Good to know - Winter Weather Alerts
A Winter Storm Watch, a Frost Advisory or a Wind Chill Warning—you've likely heard these winter weather alerts on your local news or as emergency notices sent to your cell phone. But where do these alerts come from and what do they mean?
They come from Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs), sub-agencies of the National Weather Service (NWS) that cover every community in the United States. WFOs issue watches, warnings and advisories based on local weather forecasts and conditions.
What Do the Different Weather Alerts Mean?
The NWS breaks down weather events into three overarching categories: warnings, watches and advisories. Each of these categories has a specific winter weather alert as shown in the chart below:
Source: Grainger Editorial Staff