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WeatherMinds: Winter watches, advisories and warnings

Meteorologist Laura Betker breaks down the differences between the winter weather alerts we are sure to see in the coming months.

When winter weather is on the way, there are often watches, warnings and advisories issued to help us prepare for what's to come. Here's the difference between them all:

First up, winter storm watch. This alert shows up as blue on our maps and those from the National Weather Service. A winter storm watch is issued as a general advisory for winter weather that's expected within the next one to three days. This gives you a heads up that it's time to prepare.

Next, winter weather advisory, which shows up as purple on our county maps. A winter weather advisory is issued when snow and/or ice is forecast to be an inconvenience or even hazardous, but not a life-threatening event. 

More serious is a winter storm warning, which shows up on out maps as pink. A winter storm warning can mean a few different things. the criteria for issuing a winter storm warning is one of the following:

  • 4" or more of snow forecast within the next 12 hours.
  • 6" or more of snow forecast within the next 24 hours
  • 1/4" of ice accumulation

And most intense is a blizzard warning, shown in bright orange on the county maps. A blizzard warning means that snow and wind are forecast to combine for whiteout conditions. In this case, a life-threatening scenario is certainly possible with deep snow drifts and dangerous wind chills. Plan to cancel plans if a blizzard warning is issued for you area. We can typically expect one to two blizzard warnings in Minnesota each year. 

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