Latest news with #ExcessiveHeatWarnings
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Why ‘excessive heat warnings' won't be part of the forecast
(NEXSTAR) — It may be hard to think about sweltering temperatures in early March, but the National Weather Service (NWS) is already rolling out changes to the weather alerts used to inform the public of the dangers of impending heat. Americans may be familiar with 'Excessive Heat Watches' and 'Excessive Heat Warnings,' issued when potentially dangerous heat conditions are in the forecast. Starting this month, those alerts will be no more — sort of. Like it did with wind chill alerts in fall, the NWS is adjusting the names of its heat watch and warning alert. Instead, dangerous heat conditions will trigger an 'Extreme Heat Watch' or an 'Extreme Heat Warning.' Why you'll no longer see 'Wind Chill Warnings' this winter The guidelines are the same as when they were considered 'Excessive' alerts. An Extreme Heat Watch can be issued when 'conditions are favorable for an extreme heat event but its occurrence and timing is still uncertain.' Guidance from the NWS encourages rescheduling outdoor events and ensuring the most vulnerable — children, the elderly, and pets — have a place to stay cool when watches like this are issued. When 'extremely dangerous heat conditions are expected or occurring,' an Extreme Heat Warning is issued. You may be encouraged to avoid outdoor activities, remain hydrated, and stay in air-conditioned spaces as much as possible. Renaming the heat watch and warning is part of NWS's Hazard Simplification Project, which is intended to 'better convey that heat is dangerous.' A total lunar eclipse and blood moon will be visible in March: How and when to watch Another heat-related alert, the Heat Advisory, will not be renamed. These are issued when dangerous heat conditions are likely but not severe enough to trigger a watch or warning. The specific conditions that prompt any heat alert vary by area. The NWS points to Florida, where residents are better prepared for 90-degree heat than in, say, Alaska. In Wisconsin, for example, daytime heat index values between 100 and 104, or heat indices between 95 and 99 for four consecutive days, can activate a heat advisory from the local NWS office. An extreme heat warning can be activated if the daytime heat index will be 105 or higher or 75 or higher at night for at least 48 hours. The NWS also provides a HeatRisk tool, a five-point scale that ranks the risk of heat-related impacts nationwide. It takes into account how unusual the high temperatures are for the time of year, how long the heat will last through the day and night, and if the temperatures 'pose an elevated risk of heat-related impacts' according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
11-03-2025
- Climate
- The Hill
Why ‘excessive heat warnings' won't be part of the forecast
(NEXSTAR) — It may be hard to think about sweltering temperatures in early March, but the National Weather Service (NWS) is already rolling out changes to the weather alerts used to inform the public of the dangers of impending heat. Americans may be familiar with 'Excessive Heat Watches' and 'Excessive Heat Warnings,' issued when potentially dangerous heat conditions are in the forecast. Starting this month, those alerts will be no more — sort of. Like it did with wind chill alerts in fall, the NWS is adjusting the names of its heat watch and warning alert. Instead, dangerous heat conditions will trigger an 'Extreme Heat Watch' or an 'Extreme Heat Warning.' Why you'll no longer see 'Wind Chill Warnings' this winter The guidelines are the same as when they were considered 'Excessive' alerts. An Extreme Heat Watch can be issued when 'conditions are favorable for an extreme heat event but its occurrence and timing is still uncertain.' Guidance from the NWS encourages rescheduling outdoor events and ensuring the most vulnerable — children, the elderly, and pets — have a place to stay cool when watches like this are issued. When 'extremely dangerous heat conditions are expected or occurring,' an Extreme Heat Warning is issued. You may be encouraged to avoid outdoor activities, remain hydrated, and stay in air-conditioned spaces as much as possible. Renaming the heat watch and warning is part of NWS's Hazard Simplification Project, which is intended to 'better convey that heat is dangerous.' A total lunar eclipse and blood moon will be visible in March: How and when to watch Another heat-related alert, the Heat Advisory, will not be renamed. These are issued when dangerous heat conditions are likely but not severe enough to trigger a watch or warning. The specific conditions that prompt any heat alert vary by area. The NWS points to Florida, where residents are better prepared for 90-degree heat than in, say, Alaska. In Wisconsin, for example, daytime heat index values between 100 and 104, or heat indices between 95 and 99 for four consecutive days, can activate a heat advisory from the local NWS office. An extreme heat warning can be activated if the daytime heat index will be 105 or higher or 75 or higher at night for at least 48 hours. The NWS also provides a HeatRisk tool, a five-point scale that ranks the risk of heat-related impacts nationwide. It takes into account how unusual the high temperatures are for the time of year, how long the heat will last through the day and night, and if the temperatures 'pose an elevated risk of heat-related impacts' according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Here's why ‘Excessive Heat Warnings' are going away
KXAN (AUSTIN) — As part of the National Weather Service's 'Hazard Simplification Program,' Excessive Heat Watches and Excessive Heat Warnings will be undergoing a name change starting March 4, 2025. Going forward the word 'Excessive' will be replaced by the word 'Extreme' in these warnings. The National Weather Service said the change will 'align our terminology with the Extreme Cold Watch and Warning products' and provide more consistency among weather partners. Just last year, the National Weather Service consolidated a number of its winter weather and freezing temperature-related products to simplify and consolidate the verbiage surrounding freezing cold and removed references to 'Wind Chill' in those warnings. Frozen out! The NWS won't issue these winter alerts anymore If you remember, those new winter weather alerts became Cold Weather Advisory and Extreme Cold Warning. They also removed the 'Hard Freeze Watch' and 'Hard Freeze Warning' and consolidated down to just 'Freeze Watch' and 'Freeze Warning.' The changing of the words 'Excessive Heat' to 'Extreme Heat' creates a more consistent language in these heat-related warnings. The alert 'Heat Advisory' will remain unchanged and will be the warm-weather equivalent of Cold Weather Advisory. In Central Texas, we have specific criteria that prompt issuing either a Heat Advisory or the new Extreme Heat Warning. Heat Advisories are issued either when air temperatures are expected to climb to or above 103° or heat index values are expected to climb to or above 108° Extreme Heat Warnings are issued when air temperatures are expected to climb to or above 105° or heat index values are expected to climb to or above 113°. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
