Winter weather awareness

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.

A BLIZZARD WOULD ALSO REQUIRE A WATCH AND/OR A WARNING. A BLIZZARD
IS DEFINED AS SUSTAINED WINDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS OF 35 MPH OR
HIGHER...AND CONSIDERABLE FALLING OR BLOWING SNOW CAUSING VISIBILITY
TO BE FREQUENTLY LESS THAN 1/4 MILE. NOTE THAT EVEN IF A VERY LARGE
AMOUNT OF SNOW FALLS...THIS STILL DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A BLIZZARD
UNLESS THE WIND CRITERIA ARE MET ALSO. A BLIZZARD IS AN EXTREMELY
RARE EVENT IN ARKANSAS.

AN ICE STORM WOULD REQUIRE A WATCH AND/OR A WARNING. ICE STORMS
OCCUR WHEN FREEZING RAIN DEPOSITS SIGNIFICANT OR DAMAGING AMOUNTS OF
ICE...USUALLY 1/4 INCH OF ICE OR MORE. /SEE THE TABLE BELOW FOR ICE
STORM CRITERIA IN EACH COUNTY./ FOR LESSER AMOUNTS OF ICE...AN
ADVISORY WOULD BE REQUIRED.

HEAVY SLEET WOULD REQUIRE A WATCH AND/OR A WARNING. THIS IS
GENERALLY DEFINED AS SLEET COVERING THE GROUND TO A DEPTH OF 1/2 INCH
OR MORE. /SEE THE TABLE BELOW FOR HEAVY SLEET CRITERIA FOR EACH
COUNTY./ AN ADVISORY WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR LESSER AMOUNTS OF SLEET.

FREEZE WARNINGS ARE NORMALLY ISSUED FOR THE FIRST FEW FREEZES IN THE
FALL AND FOR LATE SEASON FREEZES IN THE SPRING.

FROST ADVISORIES ARE ISSUED FOR THE FIRST FEW FROSTS IN THE FALL AND
FOR LATE SEASON FROSTS IN THE SPRING.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS SIMPLIFIED THE TYPES OF WARNINGS
AND ADVISORIES. THE ONLY EVENT-SPECIFIC WARNINGS THAT WILL BE ISSUED
IN ARKANSAS ARE BLIZZARD WARNINGS...ICE STORM WARNINGS...AND WIND
CHILL WARNINGS. ALL OTHER WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS WINTER STORM
WARNINGS. LIKEWISE...FOR ADVISORIES...THE ONLY EVENT-SPECIFIC
ADVISORIES THAT WILL BE ISSUED ARE FREEZING RAIN ADVISORIES AND WIND
CHILL ADVISORIES. ALL OTHER ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED AS WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORIES. WHEN EACH WARNING OR ADVISORY IS ISSUED...THE
TEXT WILL STATE WHAT TYPES OF WINTER WEATHER ARE EXPECTED.

WIND CHILL WARNINGS ARE RELATIVELY NEW. IN THE COUNTIES FOR
WHICH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT MAKES THE
FORECAST...WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED FOR WIND CHILLS OF 15 BELOW
ZERO OR LOWER WHEN WINDS AVERAGE 10 MPH OR MORE FOR ANY PERIOD
OF TIME.

WIND CHILL ADVISORIES ARE RELATIVELY NEW AS WELL. IN THE COUNTIES
FOR WHICH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT MAKES THE
FORECAST...ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED FOR WIND CHILLS RANGING FROM
9 ABOVE TO 14 DEGREES BELOW ZERO WITH A SUSTAINED WIND OF 10 MPH
OR MORE FOR 2 HOURS OR MORE.

FREEZING FOG ADVISORIES ARE ISSUED WHEN FOG IS PRESENT WITH
TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING...AND THE FOG IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE A
THIN LAYER OF ICE TO DEVELOP ON BRIDGES...OVERPASSES...AND OTHER
ELEVATED ROADWAYS. THE ISSUANCE OF FREEZING FOG ADVISORIES BEGAN
AS AN EXPERIMENT 13 WINTERS AGO AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN LITTLE ROCK. THE EXPERIMENT WAS A SUCCESS. AS A RESULT...THESE
ADVISORIES CAN NOW BE ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES
NATIONWIDE.

GENERAL CRITERIA FOR WARNINGS

HEAVY SNOW ICE STORM
COUNTY 12 HRS 24 HRS 12 HRS OR 24 HRS

SHREVEPORT NWS OFFICE
COLUMBIA 4 4-6 1/4
HEMPSTEAD 4 4-6 1/4
HOWARD 4 4-6 1/4
LAFAYETTE 4 4-6 1/4
LITTLE RIVER 4 4-6 1/4
MILLER 4 4-6 1/4
NEVADA 4 4-6 1/4
SEVIER 4 4-6 1/4
UNION 4 4-6 1/4

IMPORTANT NOTE...THE AMOUNTS SHOWN ABOVE ARE THE AMOUNTS GENERALLY
USED FOR WARNING CRITERIA. WARNINGS MAY...AT TIMES...BE ISSUED FOR
AMOUNTS SOMEWHAT LESS THAN SHOWN ABOVE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE
FOR EARLY AND LATE SEASON STORMS AND THOSE THAT WILL HAVE UNUSUAL
IMPACTS ON THE PUBLIC. ALL WARNINGS THAT ARE ISSUED WILL STATE
SPECIFICALLY THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE EXPECTED FROM THAT PARTICULAR
STORM.

&&

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SHV