NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
1142 AM EST TUE NOV 03 2015
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES THAT SERVE NEW ENGLAND HAVE
DECLARED THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2ND THROUGH 6TH, WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS
WEEK. IN CONJUNCTION WITH WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK, THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GRAY WILL BE ISSUING PUBLIC INFORMATION
STATEMENTS CONCERNING MANY ASPECTS OF WINTER WEATHER AND WINTER
WEATHER PREPAREDNESS. THIS IS THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF FIVE PUBLIC
INFORMATION STATEMENTS TO BE ISSUED THIS WEEK.
...WATCH...WARNING...AND ADVISORY CRITERIA FOR WINTER STORMS...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES WATCHES, WARNINGS, AND ADVISORIES
TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER EVENTS OR
SITUATIONS. WHILE THE EXACT CRITERIA USED TO TRIGGER THESE WATCHES,
WARNINGS, AND ADVISORIES VARIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, THE
FOLLOWING CRITERIA ARE USED IN MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE. NOTE THAT A
WATCH IS ISSUED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC THAT DANGEROUS WINTER CONDITIONS
ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCHED AREA, GENERALLY WITHIN THE NEXT 24 TO
72 HOURS. A WARNING IS ISSUED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC THAT DANGEROUS
WINTER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THE WARNED AREA, GENERALLY
WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 36 HOURS, OR ARE OCCURRING. AN ADVISORY IS ISSUED
TO ALERT THE PUBLIC THAT WINTER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE A
SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCE AND MAY BE HAZARDOUS. IF CAUTION IS
EXERCISED THOUGH, THESE SITUATIONS SHOULD NOT BE LIFE THREATENING.
THE FOLLOWING WINTER STORM CRITERIA WILL BE USED FOR ALL OF NEW
HAMPSHIRE AND WESTERN AND SOUTHERN MAINE:
BLIZZARD WARNING
SNOW AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS TO
PRODUCE NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY. DEEP DRIFTS AND DANGEROUS
WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES OFTEN ACCOMPANY THESE CONDITIONS.
THE EXACT CRITERIA USED FOR THESE WARNINGS INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING CONDITIONS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST FOR 3
HOURS OR MORE.
SUSTAINED WINDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS TO 35 MPH OR MORE...AND
FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO 1/4
MILE OR LESS FOR 3 OR MORE HOURS.
WINTER STORM WARNING
AN AVERAGE OF 6 INCHES OR MORE OF SNOW/SLEET IS
EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
AN AVERAGE OF AT LEAST 4 (BUT LESS THAN 6) INCHES OF
SNOW/SLEET IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORIES CAN ALSO BE ISSUED FOR MIXED PRECIPITATION
EVENTS OR FOR BLOWING SNOW.
ICE STORM WARNING
FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE A GLAZE OF ICE
1/2 INCH OR THICKER.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY
FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE A GLAZE OF ICE ON
ROADS AND SIDEWALKS, BUT LESS THAN 1/2 INCH IS EXPECTED.
WHILE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOES NOT ISSUE WARNINGS OR
ADVISORIES FOR STORMS THAT PRODUCE LESS THAN AN AVERAGE OF 4 INCHES
OF SNOWFALL...THESE STORMS CAN BE DECEPTIVELY DANGEROUS TO MOTORISTS.
IN TERMS OF THE DEATHS THAT ARE LINKED TO THE SNOW STORMS...THE MAJORITY
ARE AS A RESULT OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS...AND MANY OF THOSE ACCIDENTS
OCCUR WITH ONLY SMALL ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW. SLOW DOWN AS SOON AS SNOW
BEGINS TO ACCUMULATE. IN ICE OR SNOW - TAKE IT SLOW!
PREPAREDNESS TIP FOR THE DAY:
HEAVY WET SNOW OR A SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATION...ESPECIALLY WHEN
COMBINED WITH WIND...CAN CAUSE TREES OR TREE LIMBS TO FALL ONTO POWER
LINES. IF YOU SEE THESE CONDITIONS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP IN YOUR
AREA...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A POWER OUTAGE.
PARTICULARLY IF YOU DEPEND ON A WELL FOR WATER, STORE AN AMPLE SUPPLY
OF WATER FOR BOTH DRINKING AND SANITARY NEEDS TO LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
DOES A BLIZZARD WARNING MEAN THAT THERE WILL BE MORE SNOW THAN A WINTER
STORM WARNING?
ANSWER:NOT NECESSARILY. BLIZZARD WARNINGS ARE ISSUED FOR
SITUATIONS WHERE THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND/OR BLOWING
SNOW...AND WIND WILL CAUSED REDUCED VISIBILITIES (1/4 MILE
OR LESS) FOR 3 HOURS OR LONGER. THIS COMBINATION CREATES
EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. WHILE NO MINIMUM AMOUNT OF
SNOWFALL IS REQUIRED FOR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS, HEAVY SNOW,
NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY, DEEP DRIFTS, AND DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS
ARE OFTEN A PART OF THESE HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS.
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