National Weather Services revises watches, warnings, advisories for cold weather

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When the colder weather returns this winter, some of the watches, warnings and advisories issued by the National Weather Service will have different names. Starting this month, the agency has revised its products for the cold.

Meteorologist Dan Cook from the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock says the change is an effort to simplify its weather messaging.

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One of the changes will be the replacement of wind chill advisories and warnings.

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In addition, wind chill watches were renamed to extreme cold watches. A watch will be issued when dangerously cold air, with or without wind, is possible.

Cook says some other watches and warnings were consolidated.

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Another change announced by the National Weather Service is winter storm criteria. In the past, the agency used a one-size-fits-all method for the entire state of Arkansas, but Cook says they’re attempting to be more proactive toward the state’s climate zones.

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The North Little Rock office will continue to issue frost advisories when necessary, but Cook says not every National Weather Service office is following that trend.

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