Issued by NWS Grand Junction, CO
000
NOUS45 KGJT 212146
PNSGJT
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
400 PM MDT TUE OCT 21 2008
...WHAT DOES THAT WARNING MEAN...
WINTER IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. WHEN A WARNING IS ISSUED WILL YOU
KNOW WHAT IT MEANS...AND WILL YOU KNOW HOW TO RESPOND. DURING THIS
COLORADO WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK...PLEASE REVIEW THE LIST OF
WINTER WARNING PRODUCTS...AS WELL AS WARNING AND ADVISORY CRITERIA.
THIS LIST CONTAINS THE WARNING AND ADVISORY CRITERIA FOR COLORADO
WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. SAVE THIS LIST FOR USE THROUGHOUT THE
WINTER. CRITERIA EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL BE PROVIDED
TODAY IN A SEPARATE STATEMENT BY THE BOULDER FORECAST OFFICE.
...OUTLOOKS...
A HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS ISSUED DAILY BY EACH NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE IN COLORADO. THE OUTLOOK PROVIDES INFORMATION ON
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUT TO 7 DAYS INTO THE FUTURE. ALSO...
THE WEATHER STORY...A GRAPHIC OF EXPECTED HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS
POSTED DAILY ON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITES SERVING COLORADO.
...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN HAZARDOUS WINTER STORM CONDITIONS
ARE POSSIBLE...BUT NOT CERTAIN...WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 36 HOURS. FOR
RARE SITUATIONS...IT WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE FOURTH FORECAST PERIOD...
36 TO 48 HOURS INTO THE FUTURE.
WINTER WEATHER WARNINGS ARE ISSUED FOR POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING
WEATHER EVENTS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12
HOURS...AND OCCASIONALLY AS MUCH AS 24 HOURS INTO THE FUTURE.
A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF HEAVY SNOW OR
ANY COMBINATIONS OF HEAVY SNOW AND OTHER EVENTS. OTHER EVENTS
INCLUDE SUCH THINGS AS BLOWING SNOW O VERY COLD WIND CHILL
TEMPERATURES.
WARNING CRITERIA FOR HEAVY SNOW IS DEFINED BY THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS:
MOUNTAINS...12 INCHES OR MORE WITHIN 24 HOURS.
LOWER ELEVATIONS...6 INCHES OR MORE WITHIN 24 HOURS.
FIRST SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON OR A LATE SEASON SNOWFALL
NOT MEETING THE ABOVE CRITERIA.
A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO PERSIST 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 HIGH WIND WARNING IS ISSUED FOR THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
MOUNTAINS...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 50 MPH FOR AT LEAST 1 HOUR
...OR GUSTS TO 75 MPH FOR ANY DURATION.
LOWER ELEVATIONS...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 MPH FOR AT LEAST 1 HOUR
...OR GUSTS TO 58 MPH FOR ANY DURATION.
A WIND CHILL WARNING WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE FOLLOWING WIND CHILL
TEMPERATURES...WHEN COMBINED WITH A SUSTAINED WIND OF AT LEAST 10
MPH...
MOUNTAINS...35 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT BELOW ZERO OR COLDER
LOWER ELEVATIONS...25 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT BELOW ZERO OR COLDER
A DUST STORM WARNING WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
VISIBILITY REDUCED TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS...AND SUSTAINED WINDS OF
25 MPH OR GREATER FOR AT LEAST ONE HOUR.
...ADVISORIES...
ADVISORIES FOR WINTER WEATHER ARE ISSUED FOR POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING THE NEXT 12
HOURS. OCCASIONALLY...A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR
CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OUT TO 24 HOURS INTO THE FUTURE.
ADVISORY CRITERIA FOR SNOWFALL IS DEFINED BY THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS:
MOUNTAINS...5 TO 12 INCHES WITHIN 24 HOURS
LOWER ELEVATIONS...3 TO 6 INCHES WITHIN 24 HOURS
A WIND ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
MOUNTAINS...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 TO 49 MPH FOR AT LEAST 1 HOUR
...OR GUSTS OF 58 TO 74 MPH FOR ANY DURATION.
LOWER ELEVATIONS...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 39 MPH FOR AT LEAST 1
HOUR
...OR GUSTS OF 45 TO 57 MPH FOR ANY DURATION.
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WHEN THE
WIND CHILL IS EXPECTED TO BE BETWEEN 18 BELOW AND 24 BELOW ZERO.
A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN WIDESPREAD FOG WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITIES TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS.
WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK IN COLORADO WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH SATURDAY. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS WILL BE
ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THIS WEEK TO HELP YOU KNOW HOW TO
RESPOND WHEN HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER THREATENS.
JIM PRINGLE
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
