NOUS42 KCHS 031100 PNSCHS GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-041100- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 600 AM EST MON DEC 3 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA... TODAY WE WILL REVIEW THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WINTER WEATHER WATCH...WARNING AND ADVISORY PROGRAM. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STRIVES TO ISSUE OUTLOOKS...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN ADVANCE OF A WINTER STORM TO AFFORD YOU AMPLE PREPARATION TIME. SEVERAL DAYS IN ADVANCE OF A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM OR COLD WEATHER OUTBREAK...WE WILL HIGHLIGHT THE THREAT WITHIN OUR HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PRODUCT. WE RESERVE THESE OUTLOOKS FOR FUTURE EVENTS WHICH HAVE AT LEAST A 30 PERCENT CHANCE TO PRODUCE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. WHEN THE PROBABILITY OF A SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER EVENT BECOMES AT LEAST 50 PERCENT WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS...WE WILL ISSUE A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE APPROPRIATE COUNTIES. A WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING FAVORABLE FOR A SIGNIFICANT EVENT AND THAT YOUR SHOULD REVIEW YOUR WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS PLAN. WHEN THE PROBABILITY OF A HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER EVENT INCREASES TO 80 PERCENT OR GREATER...USUALLY WITHIN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO...WE WILL ISSUE A WINTER STORM WARNING OR A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. WE WILL THEN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATED INFORMATION THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE STORM. A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS THAT A WINTER WEATHER EVENT WILL THREATEN LIVES AND PROPERTY. EXAMPLES OF WARNINGS INCLUDE...ICE STORM WARNINGS...BLIZZARD WARNINGS AND WINTER STORM WARNINGS FOR HEAVY SNOW. WHEN WE ISSUE A WARNING FOR YOUR AREA...YOU SHOULD IMPLEMENT YOUR WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS PLAN. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINTER PRECIPITATION OR COLD TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AND SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCE BUT WILL NOT ENDANGER LIFE AND PROPERTY. EXAMPLES INCLUDE A WIND CHILL ADVISORY...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW. YOUR RESPONSE TO OUR OUTLOOKS...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES DICTATES THE SUCCESS OF OUR SERVICES. FRIDAY...WE WILL BRIEFLY DISCUSS WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS PLANS. CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK INFORMATION ON OUR WEB PAGE AT WWW/ERH.NOAA.GOV/CHS/...AS WELL ON FACEBOOK AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.CHARLESTONSC.GOV. YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW @NWSCHARLESTONSC ON TWITTER. $$