We just received this email from Delco alertpa.org:
“..WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TUESDAY TO 6 AM EST
WEDNESDAY…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WARNING FOR SNOW, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TUESDAY TO
6 AM EST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.”
First it says we have a winter storm warning in effect, then it says the winter storm watch is no longer in effect. “WARNING” and “WATCH” sound an awfully a lot like the same thing. But the message is YELLING at us that one is IN and the other is OUT, so they obviously do NOT mean the same thing. We dug a little deeper into this mystery.
First things first, though: 6ABC Accuweather says we aren’t getting snow until Tuesday, but we’ll freeze our patooties off until then.
OK, now the difference between a “Watch” and a “Warning:”
Storm Watch: “This crap may happen any minute.”
Storm Warning: “Look outcher windah, this crap is a’happenin’ right now!”
So, Delaware County (the whole county, as one, thinking entity), says we are to stop waiting to see if a storm will happen and start buying more rock salt and shovels, by Tuesday.
Get on that, people. You’ve been warned.
Here’s the rest of the email: (You can sign up yourself by going to https://delco.alertpa.org/register.php)
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…5 TO 9 INCHES.
* TIMING…SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA TOWARD LATE TUESDAY
MORNING AND THE MIDDAY HOURS, THEN CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF
TUESDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TUESDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING, WITH SNOWFALL RATES OF AROUND AN INCH PER
HOUR.
* IMPACTS…TRAVEL WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS DUE TO SNOW COVERED ROADS
AND PERIODS OF LOW VISIBILITY. AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING
SNOW WILL DEVELOP ESPECIALLY LATER TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY
NIGHT AS WINDS INCREASE, RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED
VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. THE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING RUSH
HOUR WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED.
* WINDS…NORTHEAST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH TUESDAY
AFTERNOON, BECOMING NORTH AND NORTHWEST TUESDAY NIGHT.
* TEMPERATURES…MAINLY IN THE 20S TUESDAY, THEN FALLING THROUGH
THE TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS TUESDAY NIGHT.
* WIND CHILLS…MAINLY AROUND 10 DEGREES TUESDAY, THEN DROPPING
TO AROUND 10 BELOW ZERO TUESDAY NIGHT. THESE VALUES CAN QUICKLY
CAUSE FROSTBITE TO EXPOSED SKIN AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE
EXPECTED. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL
VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL GREATLY REDUCE THE
VISIBILITY ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS LATER TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND
TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN SNOW BLOWING BACK ONTO
PREVIOUSLY PLOWED ROADWAYS. USE EXTRA CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.