Do you recall getting a "Hard Freeze Warning" in the past?
Well, that terminology will no longer exist and will now simply be named a Freeze Watch/Warning.
The warnings for cold weather terminology have changed this year.
The National Weather Service is the office that issues official watches/warnings for inclement or severe weather. Different offices across the country issue winter weather watches/warnings based on different criteria such as different temperature ranges, wind chill ranges, snow fall rates, etc.
The Lake Charles office is responsible for issuing the watches and warnings for the Acadiana area. So if you are included in an area with a winter weather watch or warning, here is what they will mean for you.
As always, the KATC Weather Team will be making sure you are informed when cold weather will be arriving and what the risks will or could potentially be. But it also felt important to have a reference guide available for when a warning may be issued to your device, so that you know how best to prepare and protect your home, property, and pets.
A Freeze Watch/Warning:
A hard freeze warning will no longer be what you see pop up on your screen for your area.
Instead, this has been simplified to only be a Freeze Watch/Warning.
- Issued for the first forecast freeze (32° F or less) of the season for each parish
OR
- Issued anytime the air temperature is forecast to fall to or below 25° F.
A Cold Weather Advisory:
- Depending on your parish, this will mean either the temperature or the wind chill temperature is forecast to reach either 20° F or 25° F or below.
An Extreme Cold Watch/Warning:
- Depending on your parish, this will mean either the temperature or the wind chill temperature is forecast to reach either 15° F or 10° F or below.
Overall the largest difference between the Freeze Watch/Warnings and the Cold Weather Watch/Warnings will be whether or not the wind chill will be impacting what temperature the air outside feels like.
Below are images you can look at to determine what your weather alert will mean.
In extreme cold, don't forget to take care of the Four Ps! People, Plants, Pets, and Pipes.
More information on this consolidation of terms can be found at:
https://www.weather.gov/news/243009-cold-hazard-simplification
For more information on cold weather safety you can go to:
https://www.weather.gov/wrn/winter-storms-sm
