Why are wind chill alerts changing to “extreme cold” alerts this winter?

The National Weather Service has been working for years to simplify the way it communicates hazard information. Part of this involves reconsidering how advisories, watches and warnings are issued.

One of the latest amendments relates to a winter weather warning.

Instead of issuing wind chill advisories, watches and warnings, National Weather Service offices across the country will issue extreme cold recommendations, observations and warnings starting in winter 2024/2025.

You may ask, “Why?”

Cold weather accounts for 6% of weather-related deaths over the past three decades. It doesn’t have to be windy for the cold to become dangerous.

Let’s put it this way. In the desert southwest, where the air is really dry, there are still heat warnings. The heat index doesn’t matter here, but heat is heat.

Extreme Cold Watches will be issued when dangerous cold weather is possible, and Extreme Cold Warnings will be issued when it is likely to occur. Not being covered can lead to potential hypothermia or frostbite.

Previously, wind chill advisories were not common in the Triangle. Only a dozen have been produced since 2009. Most of them were released in January.

Compare that to the 15 heat warnings this summer alone. Since 2009, 135 heat warnings have been issued.

It has been almost two years since our last wind chill warning, which was issued on Christmas Eve 2022. That day the wind temperature dropped to 5° below zero!

I reached out to the National Weather Service office in Raleigh to see if there were specific criteria that would trigger extreme cold warnings. I haven’t received a response yet, but if I do, I will update this article.

Our winter forecast will be released in early November!