Winter Weather Alerts

12/28/2019 (Permalink)

The weather can change quickly and go from being warm and sunny one day, to overcast and snowing the next. It is important to keep an eye on the weather reports in order to be properly prepared for the day.  Weather alerts can be confusing as there are many different technical terms and meanings. At SERVPRO of Collinsville/Troy we want you stay safe and ahead of any weather events that may occur. Below, we are going to talk about some of the different weather warning messages you may see.  

• Winter Weather Advisory – An advisory occurs when less than 6 inches of snow or less than ¼ an inch of ice is expected to accumulate. It is still very important to stay updated on the weather and to be prepared because an advisory can quickly turn into a winter storm warning.  
• Winter Storm Warning – A winter storm warning is issued when 6 inches or more of snow is expected, or a combination of winter weather such as snow, ice, sleet, or high winds may occur.  
• Blizzard Warning –  A blizzard warning will occur when winds of over 35mph are predicted for more than three hours at a time along with lots of snow fall or snow that has already fallen that could blow around and reduce visibility. 
• Ice Storm Warning – This occurs when ¼ an inch of more of ice is expected to accumulate. 
• Wind Chill – This is more than just the temperature outside, this is talking about how cold it is with the moving air of the wind. It is typically colder than the temperature outside so it's important to look at both the temperature and the wind chill.  

• Wind Chill Advisory – A wind chill advisory is when the wind chill is –15 degrees to –25 degrees. The winds must also be 10mph or higher. 
• Wind Chill Warning – A wind chill warning means that the wind chill is over –25 degrees and the winds are 10mph or higher.