Winter Weather Safety

Winter is coming!

Winter can bring with it a wide variety of potentially dangerous weather. From impacting roadways, outdoor activities, infrastructure, and more, being prepared for any eventuality can bring you and your family some peace of mind this winter season. This site is designed to teach you how to prepare and keep yourself and your family safe before, during and after a winter storm. On this page you will see information about winter alerts, the science behind the storm; and it's hazards, as well as information on driving and dressing safely in winter weather. Our goal is to keep everyone safe and healthy during this season and our hope is that this informational page teaches families the correct steps to take in order to maintain the health and safety of everyone around them.

Winter Warning/Watch/Advisory

  1. Winter Storm Warning
    Snow, sleet or ice expected! Take Action. Confidence is high that a winter storm will produce heavy snow, sleet or freezing rain and cause significant impacts.

  2. Winter Storm Watch
    Snow, sleet or ice possible! Be prepared. Confidence is medium that a winter snow could produce heavy snow, sleet or freezing rain and cause significant impacts.

  3. Winter Weather Advisory
    Winter weather expected. Exercise caution. Light amounts of wintry precipitation or patchy blowing snow will cause slick conditions and could affect travel if precautions are not taken.

The National Weather Service, Wind Chill Temperature (WCT) Index uses advances in science, technology and computer modeling to provide and accurate, understandable and useful formula for calculating the dangers from winter winds and freezing temperatures.

The Index does the following:

  • Calculates wind speed at an average height of 5 feet, the typical height of an adult human face, based on readings from the national standard height of 33 feet, which is the typical height of an anemometer;

  • Is based on a human face model;

  • Incorporates heat transfer theory based on heat loss from the body to it's surroundings, during cold and breezy/windy days;

  • Lowers the calm wind threshold to 3 mph;

  • Uses a consistent standard for skin tissue resistance;

  • Assumes no impacts from the sun, i.e., clear night sky.