Ice storm warning

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Ice covered trees in Muncie, Indiana MuncieIce.JPG
Ice covered trees in Muncie, Indiana

An ice storm warning is a hazardous weather statement issued by the Weather Forecast Offices of the National Weather Service in the United States which indicates that freezing rain produces a significant and possibly damaging accumulation of ice on surfaces. The criteria for this warning vary from state to state, but typically an ice storm warning will be issued any time more than 14 inch (6.4 mm) of ice at peak is expected to accumulate in an area, else a freezing rain or drizzle advisory is issued; in some areas, the criterion is 12 inch (13 mm) instead. [1]

Contents

Prior to October 2017, a freezing rain advisory or freezing drizzle advisory was issued when a small amount of icing was possible.

In Canada, a freezing rain warning has the same meaning.

Example of an ice storm warning

  650  WWUS41 KRLX 140913 WSWRLX  URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Charleston WV 413 AM EST Sun Feb 14 2021  WVZ013>016-018-020-024>026-029>031-141715- /O.UPG.KRLX.WS.A.0004.210215T0600Z-210216T1800Z/ /O.NEW.KRLX.IS.W.0002.210215T0600Z-210216T1500Z/ Lincoln-Putnam-Kanawha-Roane-Calhoun-Doddridge-Mingo-Logan-Boone- Gilmer-Lewis-Harrison- Including the cities of Harts, Alum Creek, Hamlin, Teays Valley,  Hurricane, Charleston, South Charleston, Saint Albans, Spencer,  Grantsville, West Union, Williamson, Logan, Chapmanville, Man,  Madison, Glenville, Weston, Clarksburg, and Bridgeport 413 AM EST Sun Feb 14 2021  ...ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 10 AM EST TUESDAY...  * WHAT...Significant icing expected. Total snow accumulations of    up to two inches and ice accumulations of two tenths to one    quarter of an inch.  * WHERE...Portions of central, northern and southern West    Virginia.  * WHEN...From 1 AM Monday to 10 AM EST Tuesday.  * IMPACTS...Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the   ice. Travel could be nearly impossible. The hazardous conditions   could impact the morning commute.  * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...There could be a break in the freezing rain   Monday afternoon and evening if temperatures manage to rise    briefly above freezing.   PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...  Travel is strongly discouraged. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Prepare for possible power outages.   Additional information can be found at https://www.weather.gov/rlx as well as on our Facebook and Twitter pages.  &&  $$  

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See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice storm</span> Weather event characterized by freezing rain

An ice storm, also known as a glaze event or a silver storm, is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least 0.25-inch (6.4 mm) of ice on exposed surfaces. They are generally not violent storms but instead are commonly perceived as gentle rains occurring at temperatures just below freezing.

Freezing rain is rain maintained at temperatures below freezing by the ambient air mass that causes freezing on contact with surfaces. Unlike a mixture of rain and snow or ice pellets, freezing rain is made entirely of liquid droplets. The raindrops become supercooled while passing through a sub-freezing layer of air hundreds of meters above the ground, and then freeze upon impact with any surface they encounter, including the ground, trees, electrical wires, aircraft, and automobiles. The resulting ice, called glaze ice, can accumulate to a thickness of several centimeters and cover all exposed surfaces. The METAR code for freezing rain is FZRA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter storm</span> Low-temperature extreme weather events of high winds and freezing precipitation forms

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A winter storm warning is a hazardous weather statement issued by Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) of the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States to alert the public that a winter storm is occurring or is about to occur in the area, usually within 36 hours of the storm's onset.

A winter weather advisory is a hazardous weather statement issued by local Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) of the National Weather Service in the United States when one or more types of winter precipitation—snow, rain and snow mixed, freezing rain, sleet, graupel, etc.—presenting a hazard, but not expected to produce accumulations meeting storm warning criteria, are forecast within 36 hours of the expected onset of precipitation or are occurring in the advisory's coverage area.

A winter storm watch is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when there is a possibility of heavy snow or potential of significant ice accumulations, without meeting a specific other winter criteria. The watch is typically issued 12 to 48 hours before the storm's expected arrival in the given area. The criteria for this watch can vary from place to place, which is true with other winter weather warning and advisories.

A heavy snow warning was a hazardous weather statement issued by the Weather Forecast Offices of the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States which indicates a high rate of snowfall was occurring or was forecast to occur. Generally, the warning was issued for snowfall rates of 6 inches (15 cm) or more in 12 hours, or 8 inches (20 cm) or more in 24 hours.

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Freezing drizzle is drizzle that freezes on contact with the ground or an object at or near the surface. Its METAR code is FZDZ.

A lake effect snow warning is a bulletin issued by the National Weather Service in the United States to warn of heavy snowfall accumulations that are imminent from convective snow generated by very cold airmass passing over unfrozen lakes. The criteria for amounts may vary significantly over different county warning areas. On October 2, 2017, some National Weather Service Forecast Offices discontinued issuing the Lake Effect Snow Warning, and consolidated it with the Winter Storm Warning. On October 15, 2018, the National Weather Service discontinued issuing Lake Effect Snow Warnings nationwide all together, and all offices consolidated it with the Winter Storm Warning. Lake effect snow warnings were reinstated for the 2019–20 winter season.

This article describes severe weather terminology used by the Meteorological Service of Canada, a branch within Environment and Climate Change Canada. The article primarily describes various weather warnings, and their criteria. Related weather scales and general weather terms are also addressed in this article. Some terms are specific to certain regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glaze (ice)</span> Coating of ice on objects

Glaze or glaze ice, also called glazed frost or verglas, is a smooth, transparent and homogeneous ice coating occurring when freezing rain or drizzle hits a surface. It is similar in appearance to clear ice, which forms from supercooled water droplets. It is a relatively common occurrence in temperate climates in the winter when precipitation forms in warm air aloft and falls into below-freezing temperature at the surface.

A blizzard watch was a bulletin issued by the National Weather Service of the United States which meant winds greater than 35 miles per hour, mixed with falling or blowing snow, and visibilities of 14 mile (0.4 km) or less is forecast for a period of 3 hours or more. A blizzard watch was issued 12 to 48 hours before an expected blizzard event. As the forecast solidifies, a blizzard watch would be either downgraded to a winter storm warning or winter weather advisory for blowing snow or upgraded to a blizzard warning.

A freezing rain advisory was an advisory issued by the National Weather Service in the United States when freezing rain or freezing drizzle was expected to cause significant inconveniences, but did not meet warning criteria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 9–10, 2010 North American blizzard</span> Severe weather event

The February 9–10, 2010 North American blizzard was a winter and severe weather event that afflicted the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States between February 9–11, 2010, affecting some of the same regions that had experienced a historic Nor'easter just three days earlier. The storm brought 10 to 20 inches of snow across a wide swath from Washington, D.C., to New York City, with parts of the Baltimore metro area receiving more than 20 inches (51 cm). This storm began as a classic "Alberta clipper", starting out in Canada and then moving southeast, and finally curving northeast while rapidly intensifying off the New Jersey coast, forming an eye. The National Weather Service likened this storm to a Category 1 hurricane: "Winds topped 58 mph over part of the Chesapeake Bay, and 40 mph gusts were common across the region as the storm's center deepened and drifted slowly along the mid-Atlantic coast". The storm system, in conjunction with the earlier storm, has been nicknamed "Snoverkill."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Groundhog Day blizzard</span> 2011 blizzard affecting the U.S. and Canada

The 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard was a powerful and historic winter storm that affected large swaths of the United States and Canada from January 31 to February 2, 2011, especially on Groundhog Day. During the initial stages of the storm, some meteorologists predicted that the system would affect over 100 million people in the United States. The storm brought cold air, heavy snowfall, blowing snow, and mixed precipitation on a path from New Mexico and northern Texas to New England and Eastern Canada. The Chicago area saw 21.2 inches (54 cm) of snow and blizzard conditions, with winds of over 60 mph (100 km/h). With such continuous winds, the blizzard continued to the north and affected Eastern and Atlantic Canada. Blizzard conditions affected many other large cities along the storm's path, including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, El Paso, Las Cruces, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Dayton, Cleveland, New York City, New York's Capital District, and Boston. Many other areas not normally used to extreme winter conditions, including Albuquerque, Dallas and Houston, experienced significant snowfall or ice accumulation. The central Illinois National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois, issued only their fourth blizzard warning in the forecast office's 16-year history. Snowfall amounts of 20 to 28 inches were forecast for much of Northern and Western Illinois.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 15–20, 2021 North American winter storm</span> Category 3 winter storm and ice storm in the United States

The February 15–20, 2021 North American winter storm, also unofficially referred to as Winter Storm Viola, was a significant and widespread snow and ice storm across much of the United States, Northern Mexico, and Southern Canada. The system started out as a winter storm on the West Coast of the United States on February 15, later moving southeast into the Southern Plains and Deep South from February 16–17. It then moved into the Appalachian Mountains and Northeastern United States, before finally moving out to sea on February 20. The storm subsequently became a powerful low pressure system over the North Atlantic, before eventually dissipating on February 26.

References

  1. National Weather Service. "Ice storm warning". Glossary - NOAA's National Weather Service. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  2. "IEM :: Valid Time Event Code (VTEC) App".