PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...PART 3 OF 9
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI

...TERMINOLOGY USED IN NWS FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS...

...WISCONSIN WINTER AWARENESS WEEK IS NOVEMBER 7-11...


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE USES THE TERMS...WATCH...WARNING...
AND...ADVISORY...TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

...WINTER STORM WATCH...
A WINTER STORM THAT CAN IMPACT SOCIETY MAY AFFECT YOUR AREA. A WINTER
STORM WATCH WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE 12 TO 48 HOURS NOTICE OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WINTER WEATHER.

     -A WATCH WILL OFTEN BE ISSUED WHEN NEITHER THE PATH OF A
      DEVELOPING WINTER STORM NOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WEATHER
      EVENT ARE AS YET WELL DEFINED.

     -IDEALLY...THE WINTER STORM WATCH WILL EVENTUALLY BE UPGRADED TO
      A WARNING WHEN THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE DEVELOPING
      WEATHER EVENT BECOMES MORE APPARENT.
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THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS MAY BE ISSUED FOR SOUTH-CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...

...WINTER STORM WARNING...
SEVERE WINTER WEATHER IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT.  WINTER STORM
WARNINGS ARE USUALLY RESERVED FOR FORECASTS OF SNOW EXCEEDING 6
INCHES IN 12 HOURS OR LESS...IN COMBINATION WITH FREEZING RAIN
OR SLEET...AND POSSIBLY WITH STRONG WINDS. WARNING COULD ALSO BE
ISSUED IF 8 INCHES OR MORE OF ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED IN A 24 HOUR
PERIOD.

     -WINTER STORM WARNINGS CAN BE ISSUED FOR LESSER AMOUNTS OF
      SNOW...SAY 3 TO 6 INCHES...IF THE SNOW OCCURS WITH STRONG
      WINDS IN EXCESS OF 20 MILES AN HOUR AND/OR SLEET OR HEAVY ICE
      ACCUMULATIONS FROM FREEZING RAIN.
     -WARNINGS MAY ALSO BE ISSUED FOR LESSER AMOUNTS OF SNOW IF THE
      BULK OF THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL DURING THE PEAK RUSH
      HOUR PERIODS.

...BLIZZARD WARNING...
SUSTAINED WINDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS OF 35 MILES AN HOUR WILL OCCUR IN
COMBINATION WITH CONSIDERABLE FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW FOR A
PERIOD OF AT LEAST 3 HOURS.  VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE REDUCED
TO LESS THAN 1/4 MILE IN A BLIZZARD.

...HEAVY SNOW WARNING...
USUALLY RESERVED FOR FORECASTS OF SNOW EXCEEDING 6 INCHES IN 12 HOURS
OR LESS...OR FOR EVENTS WHERE 8 INCHES OR MORE OF ACCUMULATIONS ARE
EXPECTED IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD.

...LAKE-EFFECT SNOW WARNING...
RESERVED FOR FORECASTS OF WIDESPREAD OR LOCALIZED LAKE-INDUCED SNOW
SQUALLS OR HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS RESULTING IN ACCUMULATIONS EXCEEDING 6
INCHES IN 12 HOURS OR LESS...OR 8 INCHES OR MORE IN A 24 HOUR
PERIOD.

...ICE STORM WARNING...
RESERVED FOR FORECASTS OF FREEZING RAIN THAT LEAVE A COATING OF
ICE...1/4 INCH THICK OR MORE...IN 12 HOURS OR LESS.

...HEAVY SLEET WARNING...
RESERVED FOR FORECASTS OF HEAVY SLEET WHERE SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF
1/2 INCH OR MORE ARE EXPECTED IN 12 HOURS OR LESS.

...WIND CHILL WARNING...
LIFE-THREATENING WIND CHILLS REACH MINUS 35 OR LOWER...IN COMBINATION
WITH SUSTAINED WINDS GREATER THAN 10 MPH.

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ADVISORIES ARE ISSUED FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT ARE BELOW WARNING
CRITERIA WHICH WILL CAUSE INCONVENIENCES...BUT...IF CAUTION IS
EXERCISED...SHOULD NOT BE LIFE-THREATENING.

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...
A MIX OF SNOW...SLEET...FREEZING RAIN...OR FREEZING DRIZZLE.

...SNOW ADVISORY...
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES IN 12 HOURS OR LESS..WITH
WINDS LESS THAN 20 MPH.

     -ADVISORIES CAN BE ISSUED FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN 3
      INCHES IF THE BULK OF THE SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED DURING PEAK
      RUSH HOUR PERIODS...AND ROADS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME VERY
      ICY.

...LAKE-EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY...
LAKE-EFFECT SNOW EVENT IN WHICH LAKE-INDUCED SNOW SQUALLS OR HEAVY
SNOW SHOWERS RESULT IN SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES.

     -ADVISORIES CAN BE ISSUED FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN
      3 INCHES IF THE BULK OF THE SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED DURING PEAK
      RUSH HOUR PERIODS...AND ROADS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME VERY ICY.

...SLEET ADVISORY...
SLEET ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN 1/2 INCH IN 12 HOURS OR LESS.

...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY...
LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN 1/4 INCH IN
12 HOURS OR LESS.

...FREEZING DRIZZLE ADVISORY...
LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN 1/4 INCH IN
12 HOURS OR LESS.

...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY...
SUSTAINED WIND OR FREQUENT GUSTS OF 20 TO 34 MPH ACCOMPANIED
BY FALLING AND DRIFTING SNOW, OCCASIONALLY REDUCING VISIBILITIES
TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS FOR 3 HOURS OR MORE.

...DENSE FOG ADVISORY...
ISSUED YEAR-ROUND FOR FORECASTS OF DENSE FOG THAT REDUCE VISIBILITIES
TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS.