NWS: Hazard Simplification Project Seeks to Simplify Weather Messaging

The NWS has improved messaging of winter hazards to provide better decision support.

(Undated) - Cold weather can be deadly as people exposed to extreme cold are susceptible to frostbite and can succumb to hypothermia in minutes.

So, as we prepare for the frigid wind chills and sub-freezing temperatures that winter can bring, NOAA’s National Weather Service is simplifying a suite of cold weather forecast products to improve messaging of winter hazards and provide better decision support.

This effort is part of the Hazard Simplification initiative which integrates public and partner engagements and social science research to improve and evolve our alerting system.

The following changes are effective as of October 1:

Extreme Cold Consolidation and Renaming

• Wind Chill Watches will be renamed to an Extreme Cold Watch
• Wind Chill Warnings will be renamed to an Extreme Cold Warning
• Wind Chill Advisory will be renamed a Cold Weather Advisory

Freeze Consolidation

• Hard Freeze Watches will be renamed to a Freeze Watch
• Hard Freeze Warnings will be consolidated to a Freeze Warning

These changes seek to clarify that cold can be dangerous with or without wind, addressing a common misconception that extreme cold is only tied to colder temperatures when there is wind. Dangerously cold weather can accompany or follow wintry precipitation, and the cold messaging can be overshadowed by the wintry precipitation.