The Shreveport National Weather Service has deemed today Winter Weather Awareness Day in Texas and Winter Weather Awareness Week continues in Arkansas.

With the Climate Prediction Center pushing El Nino back to next summer, the ArkLaTex may have more of a winter season...finally.

The following is some good information for use in getting ready for the upcoming winter season:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
900 AM CST WED NOV 14 2012

...TODAY IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS DAY FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS...

WINTER IN EAST TEXAS BRINGS RELATIVELY FEW ADVERSE EFFECTS...COMPARED
TO WHAT WE SEE IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS. BUT WHEN WINTER WEATHER
DOES STRIKE HERE...IT CAN BE DANGEROUS. ICE STORMS...HARD FREEZES...
AND OCCASIONAL SNOW...ALL HAVE THEIR UNIQUE IMPACTS. THE
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF EAST TEXAS ARE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO
WINTER WEATHER.

THE WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR EAST TEXAS CURRENTLY SHOWS LONG TERM
MODELS ARE TRENDING SLIGHTLY TOWARD WETTER CONDITIONS IN THE WINTER
SEASON...AND TEMPERATURES ARE TRENDING TOWARD WARMER THAN SEASONAL
VALUES. THE WINTER SEASON RUNS FROM DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY.

THIS OUTLOOK IS NOT A SPECIFIC FORECAST...AND PERIODS OF VERY COLD
WEATHER MAY OCCUR DURING THE WINTER SEASON.

IN AN ICE STORM...HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE CAN BRING DOWN TREES
AND TOPPLE UTILITY POLES. ICE CAN DISRUPT POWER AND COMMUNICATIONS
FOR DAYS WHILE UTILITY COMPANIES REPAIR EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. EVEN SMALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE COMMONLY CALLED A GLAZE CAN BE DANGEROUS TO
MOTORISTS AND PEDESTRIANS. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES ARE ALWAYS THE
FIRST SURFACES TO FREEZE.

OCCASIONAL SNOW CAN HAVE MUCH OF THE SAME IMPACT. ROADS MAY REMAIN
IMPASSABLE UNTIL TEMPERATURES WARM OR THE SUN HELPS DECREASE THE SNOW
COVER.

ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT FACE THE LARGE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OTHER PLACES
DO...WINTER WEATHER CHANGES SHOULD STILL BE WATCHED CAREFULLY.
WINTER WEATHER IS CONSIDERED A DECEPTIVE KILLER BECAUSE MOST DEATHS
ARE INDIRECTLY RELATED TO THE STORM. MOST PEOPLE IN WINTER STORMS DIE
IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON ICY ROADS...OR FROM HYPOTHERMIA FROM
PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THE COLD.

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER.

PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES DUE TO HIGH WINDS OR ICE STORMS AT HOME.
HAVE EXTRA FLASHLIGHTS...AND BATTERIES...A BATTERY POWERED RADIO...
EXTRA FOOD...WATER...MEDICINES...A FIRST AID KIT...A BLANKET...
AND SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS.

YOU CAN WINTERIZE YOUR VEHICLE WITH THE FOLLOWING BEFORE THE SEASON
BEGINS...KEEP THE GAS TANK FULL BEFORE THE STORM BEGINS...HAVE A
FLASHLIGHT...FIRST AID KIT...SHOVEL...AND BLANKETS.

IF YOUR CAR CANNOT BE MOVED IN ICE OR SNOW...LEAVE A WINDOW OPEN IF
YOU USE YOUR CAR HEATER AS A HEAT SOURCE. CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
CAN OCCUR IN THIS SITUATION.

HYPOTHERMIA CAN KILL. IF A PERSON SHOWS SIGNS OF OVER EXPOSURE TO THE
COLD...TAKE THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS...GET THE PERSON INTO DRY
CLOTHING AND INTO A WARM BED. KEEP THE HEAD LOW AND THE FEET
RAISED TO GET BLOOD CIRCULATING TO THE HEAD. GIVE THE PERSON WARM
DRINKS AND NEVER GIVE ALCOHOL.

THE BEST WAY TO STAY AHEAD OF THE STORM IS TO LISTEN TO WEATHER
RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...AND TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WINTER
STORM WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND ADVISORIES.

HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT TERMS TO REMEMBER...

DEFINITION OF A WINTER STORM WATCH. SEVERE WINTER CONDITIONS...SUCH
AS HEAVY SNOW...OR ICE...ARE POSSIBLE IN 12 TO 48 HOURS.

DEFINITION OF A WINTER STORM WARNING. SEVERE WINTER CONDITIONS
HAVE BEGUN OR ARE IMMINENT IN YOUR AREA...OR ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.

DEFINITION OF A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCES AND MAY BE
HAZARDOUS. IF CAUTION IS EXERCISED...THESE SITUATIONS SHOULD NOT
BECOME LIFE THREATENING. THE GREATEST HAZARD IS TO MOTORISTS.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
600 AM CST WED NOV 14 2012

...WINTER WEATHER WATCHES - WARNINGS - AND ADVISORIES...

NOVEMBER 12TH THROUGH 16TH IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN
ARKANSAS. PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO TAKE SOME TIME TO PREPARE FOR
THE UPCOMING WINTER SEASON.

TODAYS TOPIC IS WINTER WEATHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND ADVISORIES.

A WATCH INDICATES THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR A WINTER STORM
TO DEVELOP OVER ALL OR PART OF A FORECAST AREA...BUT THE
OCCURRENCE...LOCATION...OR TIMING IS STILL UNCERTAIN. WATCHES ARE
GENERALLY ISSUED WHEN THERE IS A 50 PERCENT OR GREATER CHANCE
OF A WINTER STORM. IN ARKANSAS...WATCHES ARE USUALLY ISSUED 12 TO
24 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE ANTICIPATED WEATHER. HOWEVER...THEY
CAN BE ISSUED AS MUCH AS 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE. THE TERM WINTER
STORM WATCH IS ALWAYS USED NO MATTER WHAT TYPES OF WINTRY
PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED.

A WARNING INDICATES THAT WINTER STORM CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING...
IMMINENT...OR HAVE A VERY HIGH PROBABILITY OF OCCURRING. WARNINGS
ARE GENERALLY ISSUED WHEN THERE IS AN 80 PERCENT OR GREATER CHANCE
OF A WINTER STORM. WARNINGS ARE ISSUED FOR CONDITIONS POSING A
THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. IN ARKANSAS...WARNINGS ARE USUALLY
ISSUED FOR WEATHER THAT IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR WITHIN THE NEXT 12
HOURS. HOWEVER...THEY CAN BE ISSUED AS MUCH AS 36 HOURS IN ADVANCE.

AN ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR SIMILAR CONDITIONS TO A WARNING...EXCEPT
THAT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS SERIOUS. IN OTHER WORDS...
SNOW OR ICE IS EXPECTED...BUT AMOUNTS WILL BE LESS THAN REQUIRED
FOR A WARNING. STILL...CONDITIONS WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
INCONVENIENCE...AND IF CAUTION IS NOT EXERCISED...COULD LEAD TO
SITUATIONS THAT MAY THREATEN LIFE OR PROPERTY. IN ARKANSAS...
ADVISORIES ARE USUALLY ISSUED FOR WEATHER THAT IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR
WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS. HOWEVER...THEY CAN BE ISSUED AS MUCH AS
36 HOURS IN ADVANCE.

HEAVY SNOW WOULD REQUIRE A WATCH AND/OR A WARNING. THE GENERAL
DEFINITION OF HEAVY SNOW IS 4 INCHES OR MORE IN 12 HOURS...OR 6
INCHES OR MORE IN 24 HOURS. DUE TO THE RELATIVE RARITY OF SNOW IN
ARKANSAS AND ELSEWHERE IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES...A WATCH OR
WARNING COULD BE ISSUED FOR SOMEWHAT SMALLER AMOUNTS. /SEE THE TABLE
BELOW FOR HEAVY SNOW CRITERIA IN EACH COUNTY./ IN AREAS OF THE U.S.
WHERE SNOW IS MORE COMMON...LARGER AMOUNTS ARE NEEDED BEFORE A WATCH
OR WARNING BECOMES NECESSARY.

AN ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR SNOW AMOUNTS THAT ARE SMALLER THAN WARNING
CRITERIA. FOR EXAMPLE...IF 4 INCHES OF SNOW IS REQUIRED FOR A
WARNING TO BE ISSUED...AN ADVISORY WOULD BE ISSUED WHEN 1 TO 3
INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED.