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NYZ026>031-034-035-087-VTZ001>012-016>019-310123-  
 
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT  
623 AM EDT FRI OCT 30 2009  
   
..WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND NEW YORK  
   
..TODAY/S TOPIC...WINTER WEATHER WARNINGS AND TERMINOLOGY  
 
ALL OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATES AS WELL AS THE STATE OF NEW YORK...  
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES IN THESE  
RESPECTIVE STATES...HAVE DESIGNATED THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 25TH THROUGH  
31ST AS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK.  
 
IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO...NOW IS THE TIME TO GET YOURSELF  
AND YOUR PROPERTY PREPARED FOR THE WINTER SEASON.  
 
DURING THE WINTER SEASON YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AT  
BURLINGTON MAINTAINS A 24 HOUR WEATHER WATCH. VARIOUS TYPES OF  
MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE SEASON INFORMING YOU OF  
IMPENDING HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER AND HOW TO PREPARE FOR IT.  
 
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE TERMINOLOGY USED SO THAT  
YOU CAN QUICKLY TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION NECESSARY TO SAVE LIVES  
AND MINIMIZE DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.  
 
A HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS GENERALLY ISSUED UP TO 7 DAYS IN  
ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING WINTER STORM...WHEN FORECASTERS BELIEVE  
THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF WINTER STORM CONDITIONS.  
 
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER. WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT  
WOULD PROMPT THE ISSUANCE OF A WATCH INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF  
A BLIZZARD...SNOW ACCUMULATING 6 OR MORE INCHES...DAMAGING  
ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE SUCH AS THE ICE STORM OF JANUARY 1998...OR  
A COMBINATION OF THESE ELEMENTS. WINTER STORM WATCHES ARE TYPICALLY  
ISSUED 12 TO 48 HOURS BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE WINTER STORM.  
 
WHEN A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED...THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY  
THAT HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER SUCH AS SNOW...SLEET...FREEZING  
RAIN OR A COMBINATION OF THESE ELEMENTS IS IMMINENT OR IS ALREADY  
IN PROGRESS. ALSO...A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING IS SPECIFICALLY  
ISSUED FOR SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW DOWN WIND  
OF THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES IN NEW YORK. MEANWHILE...AN ICE STORM  
WARNING MAY BE ISSUED FOR EXPECTED ICE ACCUMULATION OF AN HALF  
INCH OR GREATER. THESE WARNINGS ARE GENERALLY ISSUED 12 TO 24 HOURS  
BEFORE THE WINTER STORM ARRIVES.  
 
A BLIZZARD WARNING WILL BE ISSUED FOR ONLY THE MOST SEVERE WINTER  
WEATHER CONDITIONS. IN A BLIZZARD...HEAVY SNOW AND WINDS OF AT  
LEAST 35 MILES AN HOUR COMBINE TO CREATE VISIBILITIES AT OR  
BELOW ONE QUARTER OF A MILE IN FALLING...BLOWING AND DRIFTING  
SNOW...PERSISTING FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS.  
 
A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF WIND  
AND COLD PRODUCE WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES OF MINUS 30 DEGREES OR  
COLDER. AT SUCH TEMPERATURES EXPOSED FLESH CAN EXPERIENCE  
FROSTBITE IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES.  
 
A HIGH WIND WARNING WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF PERSISTENT  
WINDS OF 40 MILES AN HOUR OR GREATER OR FREQUENT GUSTS IN EXCESS OF  
58 MILES AN HOUR.  
 
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR 4 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW  
OR FOR SIGNIFICANT ICING ON EXPOSED SURFACES SUCH AS ROADS...  
SIDEWALKS...POWER LINES AND TREES TO POSE A HAZARD...BUT FALL SHORT  
OF WARNING CRITERIA. SPECIFIC WINTER TYPE ADVISORIES SUCH AS A  
A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY OR AN FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MAY BE  
ISSUED AS WELL.  
 
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF WIND AND  
COLD PRODUCE WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 20 AND 29 DEGREES BELOW  
ZERO. AT THESE TEMPERATURES EXPOSED FLESH CAN EXPERIENCE FROSTBITE  
IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES.  
 
A WIND ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF PERSISTENT  
WINDS BETWEEN 31 AND 39 MILES AN HOUR...OR FREQUENT GUSTS IN EXCESS  
OF 45 MILES AN HOUR.  
 
WINTER CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS TIME OF YEAR. THE NATIONAL WEATHER  
SERVICE AT BURLINGTON WILL KEEP YOU UP-TO-DATE ON FAST CHANGING  
WEATHER CONDITIONS. SO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OFTEN FOR THE  
LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. ALSO...CHECK THE LATEST FORECASTS...  
WARNINGS AND MORE AT WEATHER.GOV...THEN CLICK ON VERMONT.  
 
 
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