Confused by all the notices issued for intense winter weather? Here’s your guide

Much of the country is bracing for fierce cold and wintry weather this weekend. To prepare people, the National Weather Service has issued several types of notices nationwide, including winter storm watches, extreme cold warnings and winter weather advisories.

Different regions might define the terms differently, the NWS told NPR. Georgia, for example, may have different criteria than North Dakota about what’s considered “extreme cold,” since residents there are less accustomed to freezing temperatures.

“You will probably find there’s going to be a certain amount of regionalization that is necessary,” NWS forecaster Richard Bann said.

People can find the notices that have been issued by their local NWS office by searching their zip code on the NWS homepage. Here’s a guide on how to sift through some of those notices, and what to anticipate in order to stay safe.

Winter storm watch

As of about 4:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, winter storm watches are in effect for a large swath of the country, extending from New Mexico, through Texas, then northeast to the Carolinas and West Virginia.

These recommendations are deployed when “confidence is medium” that a storm is on the way, the NWS says. People should start preparing for the heavy snow, sleet and ice that could accumulate and bring “significant impacts” like slick roads and downed power lines, Bann said.

Winter storm warning

A winter storm warning is issued when “confidence is high” that heavy snow, sleet or freezing rain is coming to an area. The storm is close enough that people who haven’t completed their preparations need to finish up.

A winter storm warning is in effect in the area just north of Syracuse, N.Y., until Friday evening. The weather service predicts up to 28 inches of snow will fall through Friday, and winds could reach gusts up to 35 miles per hour, “creating blowing and drifting snow and at times white out conditions,” NWS says.

The agency says visibility will be low and is cautioning residents to drive slowly.

Extreme cold watch

For this notice, dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills could happen, but forecasters aren’t able to pinpoint when and where yet, the NWS says.

The weather service says people should try to avoid being outside during the coldest points of the day, have at least half a tank of gas in their cars and update their winter survival kits.

Extreme cold watches were scattered around the country as of about 5:20 p.m. ET Wednesday, including in the Northeast, Great Lakes area and spots in Montana and Texas.

NWS offices are warning their regions to take precautions to protect their homes, too. The NWS office in the Fort Worth and Dallas area, for example, is also encouraging residents to cover their exterior faucets, leave indoor faucets dripping with the cabinets open and know how to locate the water shut-off valve in their homes before Friday. Temperatures there could range from 0 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit from Friday to Tuesday.

Extreme cold warning

Extreme cold warnings were in effect in parts of North Dakota, much of Minnesota and Wisconsin as of Wednesday evening. These are issued when “extremely dangerous cold conditions or wind chill values are expected or occurring,” the NWS says.

The agency recommends not going outside altogether. If you must, though, “dress in layers, cover exposed skin, and make sure at least one other person knows your whereabouts,” the agency says.

Winter weather advisory

During winter weather advisories, people should be cautious when driving, as “light amounts of wintry precipitation or patchy blowing snow” are anticipated. This could affect the roads and traffic conditions if precautions aren’t taken, the NWS says.

As of Wednesday evening, winter weather advisories were in effect for parts of the Dakotas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado and a small chunk of eastern New York.

Blizzard warning

Blizzard warnings are in effect across a stretch of the country from South Dakota, through Minnesota and Iowa, as of Wednesday evening.

Blizzard warnings are issued when certain high-risk conditions are imminent or occurring. Those include a combination of snow falling or blowing, frequent wind gusts of 35 miles per hour or more and visibility being reduced to a quarter mile for at least three hours, the NWS says.

Under these notices, NWS urges people not to travel, and to carry a winter survival kit if they must. If you become stranded in your car, stay there and wait for help.