Winter Weather
Alert Terms


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
ATTEMPTS TO ISSUE A WATCH TO ALERT THE PUBLIC OF THE
POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WINTER WEATHER.

WINTER STORM WATCH: CONDITIONS EXIST FOR THE POSSIBLE
OCCURRENCE OF SEVERE WINTER WEATHER SUCH AS HEAVY SNOW...
SIGNIFICANT FREEZING RAIN...OR HEAVY SLEET.  THE WINTER
STORM WATCH IS USUALLY ISSUED 12 TO 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE
OF THE WINTER STORM.

A WARNING IS ISSUED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC OF IMMINENT SEVERE
WINTER WEATHER. NORMALLY A WARNING IS ISSUED AFTER A
WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN IN EFFECT. IF A WINTER STORM
DEVELOPS QUICKLY THEN THE WARNING MAY NOT HAVE BEEN
PRECEDED BY A WATCH.

WINTER STORM WARNING: ISSUED WHEN HEAVY SNOW...SIGNIFICANT
FREEZING RAIN...OR HEAVY SLEET IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR. THESE
WEATHER ELEMENTS MAY BE IN COMBINATION, OR THERE WILL BE A
"WIND ELEMENT" WITH THE STORM. THIS PRODUCT IS USUALLY
ISSUED UP TO 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE WINTER STORM.

HEAVY SNOW WARNING: ISSUED WHEN 7 INCHES OR MORE OF SNOW
IN 12 HOURS OR 10 INCHES OR MORE IN 24 HOURS. THERE WILL
BE LITTLE OR NO "WIND ELEMENT" AND NO OTHER PRECIPITATION
TYPES.

SLEET WARNING: ISSUED WHEN 1 INCH OR MORE OF SLEET IS
EXPECTED. THERE WILL BE LITTLE OR NO "WIND ELEMENT" AND NO
OTHER PRECIPITATION TYPES.

FREEZING RAIN OR ICE STORM WARNING: ISSUED WHEN ONE HALF
INCH OR MORE OF ICE IS EXPECTED. THERE WILL BE LITTLE OR
NO "WIND ELEMENT" AND NO OTHER PRECIPITATION TYPES.

BLIZZARD WARNING: ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED OR GUSTY WINDS OF
35 MPH OR MORE ARE EXPECTED TO REDUCE VISIBILITY AT OR BELOW
A QUARTER OF A MILE DUE TO FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW FOR
AT LEAST THREE HOURS.

WIND CHILL WARNING: ISSUED FOR WIND CHILLS OF -35 DEGREES
FAHRENHEIT OR LOWER OVER EASTERN AND NORTHERN MAINE ALONG
WITH WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO 10 MPH.


A LESS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER EVENT WILL PROMPT THE ISSUANCE
OF AN ADVISORY. AN ADVISORY IS NAMED SPECIFIC TO THE WEATHER
EVENT EXPECTED AND ISSUED WHEN THE EVENT IS EXPECTED TO BE
WIDESPREAD. TRAVEL BY FOOT OR CAN MAY BE DANGEROUS DURING AN
ADVISORY EVEN IF THE WINTER WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED TO REACH
WINTER STORM CRITERIA. SOME EXAMPLES OF ADVISORIES:

SNOW ADVISORY: SNOWFALL WITHIN 24 HOURS GREATER THAN 4 INCHES
BUT LESS THEN THE 7 INCH WARNING CRITERIA.

FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY: A GLAZE OF ICE EXPECTED FROM FREEZING
RAIN THAT MAY HAMPER TRAVEL. ICE ACCUMULATION OF LESS THAN ONE
HALF INCH IS EXPECTED.

BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ADVISORY: BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW
WILL FREQUENTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A
MILE OF LESS WITH SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING IN OPEN AREAS.

WIND CHILL ADVISORY: ISSUED FOR WIND CHILLS OF  -20  TO -34
DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OVER EASTERN AND NORTHERN MAINE ALONG WITH
WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO 10 MPH.

DENSE FOG ADVISORY: DENSE FOG THAT REDUCES VISIBILITY TO LESS
THAN 1/4 OF A MILE.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY: ISSUED WHEN TWO OR MORE OF THE
ABOVE ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED.

IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION ON WINTER WEATHER FORECAST
TERMINOLOGY PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
AT (207) 492-0171 EXT. 223.

PREPARED BY TONY STUREY
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NWS CARIBOU MAINE.




       
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Please report SEVERE* weather conditions in the Grand Isle Area
 to the National Weather Service in Caribou @ 1-800-909-5970...
and/or call 
the Grand Isle Emergency Management Agency  @ 207- 436-0304

*Severe weather would be Ice Storms, Tornados, Floods,washouts or Damaging winds.
If  property or life is in danger, call 911 to dispatch proper Emergency Personnel.