Watches, Warnings, and Advisories in Colorado
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL INFORM YOU ABOUT CRITICAL WEATHER WITH
OUTLOOKS...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN.
NOW IS THE TIME TO FIND OUT…DURING THIS COLORADO WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK.
THIS LIST HAS THE WATCH...WARNING AND ADVISORY CRITERIA FOR COLORADO
EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. SAVE THIS LIST FOR USE THROUGHOUT THE
WINTER. CRITERIA WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL BE PROVIDED TODAY
BY THE GRAND JUNCTION OFFICE.
HEAVY SNOW CRITERIA FOR EASTERN AND CENTRAL COLORADO ARE REPRESENTATIVE VALUES APPLIED OVER A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREA...
MOUNTAINS...8 INCHES OF SNOW IN 12 HOURS
12 OR MORE INCHES IN 24 HOURS.
LOWER ELEVATIONS...6 INCHES OF SNOW IN 12 HOURS
8 OR MORE INCHES IN 24 HOURS.
WINTER WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN WINTER STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 48 HOURS...BUT THE TIMING...INTENSITY...
OR OCCURRENCE MAY STILL BE UNCERTAIN.
A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN HEAVY SNOW IS OCCURRING OR
WILL DEVELOP IN THE NEXT 18 HOURS. THE HEAVY SNOW MAY BE
ACCOMPANIED BY WIND GREATER THAN 15 MPH AND BLOWING SNOW.
A BLIZZARD WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE NEXT
12 TO 24 HOURS.
A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED IN LOWER ELEVATIONS WHEN THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS...
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 35 MPH OR GREATER.
CONSIDERABLE FALLING AND OR DRIFTING SNOW LOWERING
VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN 1/4 MILE.
A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED IN THE MOUNTAINS FOR THE CONDITIONS ABOVE...BUT WITH WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
A WIND CHILL WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN WIND CHILL WARNING CRITERIA ARE POSSIBLE
IN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.
A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED FOR WIND CHILLS OF AT LEAST
MINUS 25 DEGREES ON THE PLAINS...AND MINUS 35 DEGREES IN THE MOUNTAINS.
A FREEZE WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN FREEZE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE NEXT
12 TO 24 HOURS.
A FREEZE WARNING IS ISSUED DURING THE GROWING SEASON WHEN WIDESPREAD
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO BELOW 32 DEGREES.
A HIGH WIND WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN HIGH WIND CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE NEXT 12 TO 36 HOURS. SOMETIMES IT WILL
BE ISSUED LATE IN THE FIRST FORECAST PERIOD...6 TO 12 HOURS...IF THE
POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WIND EXISTS...BUT THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY.
A HIGH WIND WARNING IS ISSUED FOR THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS...
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 50 MPH FOR AT LEAST 1 HOUR OR GUSTS TO 75 MPH
FOR ANY DURATION IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 MPH FOR AT LEAST 1 HOUR...OR GUSTS TO 58 MPH
FOR ANY DURATION AT LOWER ELEVATIONS AWAY FROM THE FOOTHILLS.
ADVISORIES...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN GENERAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED
BETWEEN 4 AND 8 INCHES IN 12 HOURS IN THE MOUNTAINS...AND
BETWEEN 3 AND 6 INCHES IN 12 HOURS AT LOWER ELEVATIONS.
WHEN FALLING SNOW IS ACCOMPANIED BY BLOWING SNOW TO CAUSE
TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO LOWER VISIBILITIES.
WHEN WIND BLOWN SNOW WILL OCCASIONALLY
REDUCE VISIBILITIES AND CREATE A HAZARD FOR TRAVELERS.
FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE OR A MIX OF PRECIPITATION TYPES...SUCH AS
SNOW AND SLEET...THAT WILL IMPACT TRAVEL CONDITIONS.
A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN WIDESPREAD FOG WILL
REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS.
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN WIND AND TEMPERATURE COMBINE
TO PRODUCE WIND CHILL VALUES OF MINUS 18 DEGREES TO MINUS 25
DEGREES.
A FROST ADVISORY IS ISSUED DURING THE GROWING SEASON WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO DROP TO BETWEEN 32 AND 35 DEGREES ON CLEAR CALM NIGHTS.
A BLOWING DUST ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN BLOWING DUST REDUCES VISIBILITIES
TO BETWEEN A QUARTER OF A MILE AND A MILE.
THIS WEEK IS WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK IN COLORADO. PUBLIC INFORMATION
STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE WEEK TO GIVE SAFETY INFORMATION...AND
HELP YOU KNOW HOW TO RESPOND WHEN WINTER WEATHER THREATENS.
