National Weather Service Announces Massive Changes to Winter Alerts

Say goodbye to wind chill and freeze warnings.

With winter around the corner, the National Weather Service announced it's revamping a few cold weather alerts.

This means several notifications we've become accustomed to are now a thing of the past.

The NWS said the changes will help simplify their alert system and make it easier for the public to understand.

Previously, the NWS would issue wind chill advisories, watches, and warnings when outdoor conditions were deemed hazardous or potentially life threatening.

Those alerts, as well as notifications for hard freeze watches and warnings, will be consolidated into two categories.

Wind chill alerts will now be included in the Extreme Cold Watch and Warning system, which are under the Cold Weather Advisories umbrella.

"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," the NWS said in a press release.

Dangerously cold weather can accompany or follow wintry precipitation, and the cold messaging can be overshadowed by the wintry precipitation.

Meanwhile, hard freeze alerts are now a part of the Freeze Watch/Warning system.

While some may have found the old alerts useful, the NWS said they received feedback that too many people found them confusing.

This isn't the first time the NWS did away or consolidated alert notifications for this exact reason.

Remember when the NWS would send alerts for blowing snow, sleet, and freezing rain? All three have since been retired and are now part of the "Winter Weather Advisory" category.

Read More: Major Changes Coming to NWS' Winter Storm Warning System

The agency said the latest changes will help streamline future forecasts by simplifying messaging and emphasizing conditions that may be dangerous or life threatening.

Temperature criteria will remain the same for New Yorkers, but the NWS says the new alerts will help residents better differentiate between "cold" and "extreme cold" weather.

What NOAA Says Winter 2024-2025 Will Be Like

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its official winter outlook for the upcoming season.

They predict temperatures in New York will be slightly above normal, with a probability of around 33 to 40 percent.

Meanwhile, Central New York will have equal chances of having above or below average precipitation this year. Western New York has it a bit different and is predicted to have above-average seasonal precipitation.

The good news is, New York is also looking good in their updated "drought outlook."

The entirety of New York State is predicted to not enter drought conditions this winter.

What kind of weather are you hoping we see this winter?

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