As part of the National Weather Service Hazard Simplification Project, wind chill advisories, warnings, and watches will go to the waste bin and be replaced with something new.
Throughout winters past a wind chill advisory would usually be issued when the feel like or windchill value would hit -25 degrees Fahrenheit. A warning would be issued if wind chills were expected to drop to or below -40 degrees. However, without a light wind, there is no windchill. Even if the temperature was -30 there would be no advisory. Cold is Cold and the National Weather Service of Grand Forks wants to message that. So all of our windchill advisories, watches, and warnings will be replaced with a cold advisory, Extreme Cold Watch, and Extreme Cold Warning. A Cold Weather Advisory will now be issued when air temperatures or windchill drop to -30 and a warning for -40 degrees or colder for air temperature or wind chill.
In addition to the change in wind chill warning headlines, freeze warnings and watches will be consolidated. Hard Freeze Watch and Freeze Watches will be replaced with just Freeze Watch. Hard Freeze Warning and Freeze Warning will be replaced with just Freeze Warning. This is being done to help simplify and improve messaging and service delivery.
Fun fact: The criteria for a wind chill warning or advisory in other states is not the same as it was in North Dakota. Austin Texas had a Wind Chill Warning for wind chills between 0 and -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meteorologist,
Justin Storm
