Hey, I was wondering if any one knew what the diffrence between what a Snow Advisory and a Winter Weather Advisory, and the Diffrence Between a Heavy Snow Warning and a Winter Storm Warning.


In the past, here where I live, they have only ever yused Winter Weather Advisory and Winterstrom Warning, but last year they started using Snow Advisory and Heavy Snow Warnings instead. In everycase of snow fall of less then 6 inches in 12 hours since last year they only have used the Snow Advisory, but for higher snow fall amounts of more then 6 inches, it depends on the strom, one storm they might have a Heavy Snow Warning, and Another a Winter Strom Storm Warning and I don't get why they flip flop.


There is a strom coming this wayfor tomorrow, and The National Weather service seems to have used both for diffrent areas. Where My University is they Issued a Winter Strom Warning, and where my home is they issued a Heavy Snow Warning.

In the Warning Statements thy say these are the qualifications for the warnings.

A HEAVY SNOW WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN AN AVERAGE OF 6 OR MORE INCHES
OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD OR FOR 8 OR MORE INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD.


A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN AN AVERAGE OF 6 OR MORE INCHES
OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD OR FOR 8 OR MORE INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD.



What is the significance of one over another, and why flip flp between the two.

In reading the weather state's for each, they are exactly the same, from snow fall rates per hour and total snow fall, and the track of the storm. All that has changed is the name of the warning they used.

The National Weather Services is still in the process of standardizing the winter weather system like they have with the severe storm system.

That makes since, but it's odd that the Same National Weather Service Office for the Same Storm, would give diffrenct counties diffrent warnings for the same thing. Thats an offset from standardizing.


I'm surpized they don't have a standard. Are the snow advisories and Heavy Snow Warnings newer options, or have they always been around. Before they used them ehre, I only heard of them in Canada and out west on the mountains.

They have guidelines but nothing set in stone.

Winter Storm could be sleet or anything besides snow. O_o

But what do I know...I live in south Texas. No snow here. Althoug, we had sleet/ice last night.

So I take it there is actualy a diffrence between the two warnings in some way, and the storms need to meet some requirment to get either warning. Though the wether statments hint and no diffrence between the two. I was thinking they were both the same thing, but a diffrent name.





Yeah, a winter strom warning can include sleep, and freezing rain, such as 2 inches of sleep or .2 inch of freezing rain.

And a winter weather advisory can include mix of sleet and freezing rain less then that. Yet they also have freezing rain advisories and warnings.


This storm is coming as all snow fall, no mixing so I asume it could be called a heavy snow warning over a winter storm warning.

You can always phone your local NWS office. They are happy to answer questions. I would just wait until the current weather passes and they are having a "slow" weather day. Those NWS offices get hopping when it's busy.

Speaking from experience? :charles:

Is that like calling the met office? I go past it on the bus occasionally

Haha, I just noticed something thats even more funny and flip flopish.


My University is in Manchester New Hampsire, however, the town line of Manchester and Hooksett runs through the campus and many buildings.

On the Manchester side, it's a Winter Storm Warning, on the Hooksett side, it's a Heavy Snow Warning. Not only is the warning diffrent, but so is the National Weather Service Office here. Manchester is covered by Taunton, MA and hooksett is covered by Gray/Portland, ME


Now thats really talking about inconsitency on the local level. Where the warning differs on diffrent sides of campus and splits bildings. My doorm is on the Heavy Snow Warning side. The campus isn't all that big either. My university isn't all big, maybe a thirdr mile or tad more form one end of campus to to the other


My home is also covered from Tauton, MA, and is south and wst of here, but has a Heavy Snow Warning, instead of the Winter Storm Warning given in Manchester.

I remember Charles had a tornado avatar one time... and I think it's a symbol of tornado hunters or something...

The left tornado icon: http://www2.okstorms.com:8080/images/merch...909941_F_tn.gif

skywarn has to do with wether spoters that are trained by the national weather service and report weather conditions for certain areas. So I guess it could be tornado hunters too, but those working for the national weather service, not the free lancers and local media outlet ones.

I don't think it was for the NWS, but I recall hearing something a long time ago about how Charles is/was a trained weather spotter. Could be why he was using the icon. Aside from being a weather nerd.

*runs*

We got a winter weather advisory here in Plano Texas yeaterday. We got a total of 1/2 inch of ice, and it was all melted by 9:30 this morning. Amazingly I didnt have school today, even though streets were clear before school even started.

LMAO, I just had a good laugh at the current weather observation the NWS is reporting from Manchester Air Port.



Heavy Snow Freezing Fog


That cracked me up, the weather channel local forcast voice thing Is saying that too.


Freezing Fog? Is there a such thing. haha. Haha, there's no fog here, the visibility is like only 500 feet though the snow is coming down so hard.

Well, this is certainly a interesting storm.

They are reporting Blizard conditions most everywhere now, and also TSW, which stands for Thunder Snow soemthing, forget what they said the W stood for. But anyways, the they are tracking about 5 to 9 lightning strieks a minute with this heavy snow.


At boston's logan air port, a plane while landing was struck by lightning knocking of a peice of it's wing.