CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-271200- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 800 AM EDT FRI OCT 26 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES... OCTOBER 21 TO OCTOBER 27 IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND. THIS MESSAGE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME TERMS THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE USES TO DESCRIBE WINTER WEATHER AS WELL AS THE DEFINITIONS OF WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ISSUED FOR WINTER WEATHER EVENTS. A WINTER STORM OUTLOOK IS ISSUED PRIOR TO A WINTER STORM WATCH. THE OUTLOOK IS ISSUED WHEN FORECASTERS BELIEVE WINTER STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE 3 TO 5 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF A WINTER STORM. IN GENERAL A WINTER STORM WATCH ALERTS THE PUBLIC TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A BLIZZARD...HEAVY SNOW...HEAVY FREEZING RAIN...OR HEAVY SLEET. WINTER STORM WATCHES ARE USUALLY ISSUED 12 TO 48 HOURS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF A WINTER STORM. THESE EVENTS MAY OCCUR SEPARATELY OR IN COMBINATION. SINCE WATCHES ARE ISSUED SO FAR IN ADVANCE...THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN THE STORM DOES NOT MATERIALIZE...AND THE WATCHES ARE CANCELED. ON THE OTHER HAND...A WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS IMMINENT OR HAS ALREADY BEGUN. IT IS ISSUED FOR CONDITIONS WHICH POSE A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE WARNING HEADLINES ISSUED FOR WINTER WEATHER EVENTS... A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER IN THE FORM OF HEAVY SNOW...HEAVY FREEZING RAIN...OR HEAVY SLEET IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE USUALLY ISSUED 12 TO 24 HOURS BEFORE THE EVENT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN. A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED FOR SUSTAINED OR GUSTY WINDS OF 35 MPH OR MORE...AND FALLING OR BLOWING SNOW CREATING VISIBILITIES AT OR BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE. THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD PERSIST FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS. A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE HAZARDOUS TO LIFE WITHIN SEVERAL MINUTES OF EXPOSURE. AN ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR LESS SERIOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS. SPECIFIC ADVISORIES WILL ALERT YOU TO WEATHER THAT WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON MOTORISTS...OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES...OR PUBLIC EVENTS. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE ADVISORY HEADLINES ISSUED FOR WINTER WEATHER EVENTS... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW...FREEZING RAIN...FREEZING DRIZZLE...AND SLEET WHICH WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCES...BUT IF SUFFICIENT CAUTION IS EXERCISED...DO NOT USUALLY THREATEN LIFE AND PROPERTY. A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN ACCUMULATIONS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCE. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE A SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCE TO LIFE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE...AND...IF CAUTION IS NOT EXERCISED...COULD LEAD TO HAZARDOUS EXPOSURE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH INTERNET ACCESS...ALL OF OUR WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE. SIMPLY GO TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV AND THEN CLICK ON EASTERN NEW YORK OR WESTERN NEW ENGLAND. THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MAIN WEB PAGE OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY...NEW YORK. $$ DIRIENZO