PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
600 AM MDT TUE OCT 23 2007
...WHAT DOES THAT WARNING MEAN?...
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/ WARNINGS
A WINTER STORM WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN WINTER STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 36 HOURS...BUT THE TIMING...
INTENSITY...OR OCCURRENCE MAY STILL BE UNCERTAIN. IT RARELY
WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE FOURTH FORECAST PERIOD (36 TO 48 HOURS).
A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN HEAVY SNOW IS OCCURRING OR
WILL DEVELOP IN THE NEXT 18 HOURS. THE HEAVY SNOW WILL BE
ACCOMPANIED BY WIND GREATER THAN 15 MPH AND BLOWING SNOW.
A HEAVY SNOW WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN HEAVY SNOW IS OCCURRING OR WILL
DEVELOP WITHIN THE NEXT 18 HOURS. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS
THAN 15 MPH DURING A HEAVY SNOW WARNING.
A BLIZZARD WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE
NEXT 12-24 HOURS.
A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED 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 WIND CHILL WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN WIND CHILL WARNING CRITERIA ARE
POSSIBLE IN THE NEXT 12 TO 18 HOURS.
A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED FOR WIND CHILLS OF AT LEAST
-25 DEGREES ON THE PLAINS...AND -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 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.
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.
WHAT DOES THAT ADVISORY MEAN?
A SNOW 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.
A SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN FALLING SNOW IS ACCOMPANIED
BY BLOWING SNOW TO CAUSE TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO LOWER VISIBILITIES.
A BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN WIND BLOWN SNOW WILL OCCASIONALLY
REDUCE VISIBILITIES AND CREATE A HAZARD FOR TRAVELERS.
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 18 DEGREES BELOW ZERO TO 25
DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE OR A MIX OF
PRECIPITATION TYPES (SUCH AS SNOW AND SLEET) THAT WILL IMPACT TRAVEL
CONDITIONS.
A SLEET ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN SLEET ACCUMULATES TO A QUARTER TO A HALF INCH.
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.
GLANCY.. WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST...BOULDER
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