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Winter Weather Awareness: Watches, Warnings and Advisories

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By Jason Parrish, Chief Meteorologist - bio | email
...TODAY IS DAY TWO OF WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN WEST
 VIRGINIA... 
 
THE WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK TOPIC FOR TODAY IS WINTER WEATHER
 DEFINITIONS FOR WEST VIRGINIA. 
IN THE EVENT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL
 SEND STATEMENTS TO ALERT THE PUBLIC OF THE IMPENDING HAZARDS. THESE 
STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON EXPECTED HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. HERE ARE SOME
 OF THE WATCH...WARNING...AND ADVISORY TERMS YOU MAY HEAR THIS 
UPCOMING WINTER SEASON AND THEIR DEFINITIONS....
 
A WINTER STORM WATCH IS ISSUED FOR SEVERE WINTER CONDITIONS THAT ARE
 POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT THREE DAYS BUT TIMING...INTENSITY...OR 
OCCURRENCE MAY BE UNCERTAIN.
 A WINTER STORM OR ICE STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN LIFE THREATENING 
SEVERE WINTER CONDITIONS HAVE BEGUN OR WILL BEGIN WITHIN 24 HOURS.
 
ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY NOW.
 
A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN THE FOLLOWING OCCURS FOR AT LEAST
 
3 HOURS OR MORE...
 
     WIND SPEEDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS OF 35 MPH OR MORE
 
     CONSIDERABLE FALLING AND OR BLOWING SNOW
 
     REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS
 
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE ISSUED WHEN WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
 
EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCES AND MAY BE HAZARDOUS.
 
EXERCISE CAUTION.
 
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES ARE AT 
OR BELOW -5F IN THE MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN PANHANDLE AND -10F IN THE
 
LOWLANDS.
 
A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED FOR WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES THAT ARE
 
AT OR BELOW -20F IN THE MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN PANHANDLE AND -25F IN
 
THE LOWLANDS.
 
THIS IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN WEST VIRGINIA.  PUBLIC
 
INFORMATION STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE WEEK TO GIVE
 
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION.