Definitions of severe weather alerts
The NWS divides severe weather alerts into several types of hazardous/hydrologic events:
Alert Type |
Description |
---|---|
Aviation | Aviation hazards |
Coastal/lakeshore hazards | Hydrological hazards that may affect property, marine or leisure activities in areas near ocean and lake waters including high surf and coastal or lakeshore flooding, as well as rip currents. |
Fire weather | Weather conditions that contribute to an increased risk and help cause the spread of wildfires. |
Flooding | Hazardous hydrological events resulting in temporary inundation of land areas not normally covered by water, often caused by excessive rainfall. |
Marine hazards | Hazardous events that may affect marine travel, fishing and shipping interests along large bodies of water, including hazardous seas and freezing spray. |
Non-precipitation hazards | Weather hazards not directly associated with any of the above including extreme heat or cold, dense fog, high winds, and river or lakeshore flooding. |
Other Hazards | Other Hazards |
Severe local storms | Short-fused, small-scale hazardous weather or hydrologic events produced by thunderstorms (including large hail, damaging winds, tornadoes, and flash floods). |
Temperature | Temperature |
Tropical cyclone hazards | Hazardous tropical cyclone events that may affect property in inland areas or marine activities in coastal waters, resulting in wind damage, storm surge, tornadoes and flooding rain. |
Windchill | Windchill |
Winter storms | Weather hazards associated with freezing or frozen precipitation (freezing rain, sleet, and/or snow), or combined effects of winter precipitation and strong winds. |