Beyond the Barometer: Changes coming to wind chill alerts

MADISON, Wis. -- Starting October 1st, 2024, the National Weather Service will no longer be issuing wind chill advisories, watches or warnings. Instead, Extreme Cold Watch/Warning and/or Cold Weather Advisory will be issued for an area.

The change in language is part of the National Weather Service's ongoing efforts to simplify their hazard messaging to the United State's public. With input from the public, partners, forecasters, the National Weather Service began making changes to their messaging back in 2017 by consolidating and reformatting their Winter Weather Advisory and Winter Storm Watch messages.

Starting October 1st, National Weather Service offices across Wisconsin, as well as the United States, will no longer issue:

• Wind Chill Advisory
• Wind Chill Watch
• Wind Chill Warning
• Extreme Cold Watch
• Extreme Cold Warning

Instead, the National Weather Service will issue:

• Extreme Cold Watch (previously Wind Chill Watch)
• Extreme Cold Warning (previously Wind Chill Warning)
• Cold Weather Advisory (previously Wind Chill Advisory)

You can read more about the extreme cold temperature simplification process here . The National Weather Service says that the thresholds, or criteria, for these alerts will not change. For example, a Wind Chill Advisory would be issued if an area was forecast to record wind chill values at -20°F or cooler. That same criteria will used to issue a Cold Weather Advisory.

Since 2017, other hazard messages have been looked over and changed; marine hazards underwent changes in December of 2019 and flood hazards underwent changes in November of 2021 .

This change will also mean the First Warn Weather Team will also change their messaging when relaying weather alerts.

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