This starts TODAY.
This will not effect your weather alert radio if you have one nor will it change our Radio/TV forecasts or alerts. BUT...
This WILL impact weather warnings on your smartphone. AND, there is important information you need to know about different warning types. Something NEW.
For broadcast purposes you will not notice a big difference, because when we give a severe thunderstorm warning we TELL you what the reason for the storm warning is, i.e. “a storm containing penny sized hail and wind gusts to 60 mph was detected by radar over Canton, moving South at 20 mph...”
But as I pointed out on Twitter:
The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City will issue a “SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY” when a thunderstorm does not quite meet severe level criteria but which is still stronger than a run of the mill storm and which may be on its way to turning severe, for example:
On the other hand, an example of a standard SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING:
THE NEW WARNING that will trigger EAS ACTIVATION is to alert people that a storm will LIKELY contain particularly large hail of a destructive size that can damage cars and homes and injure people, and/or WINDS that are the equivalent to or just above minimum hurricane force or like an EF-0 tornado!
This is why the new alert will activate EAS systems to call attention to a greater than normal severe weather threat to property or life, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT when people may be asleep.
FEMA will do a nationwide TEST of the EAS on AUGUST 11TH.
COMPARISON:
HAIL:
I’ve seen these memes with cup cakes, tacos, cakes you name it. Cook or bake what you want, but for the love of the lord after 60-70 years of watches and warnings learn the difference and what actions to take with each for the protection of life and property.
For more follow me on Twitter @MellishMeterWSB.