By Bob Hill | For The Brookings Register
I may have written about springtime weather a little early recently. I didn’t think that I needed to remind everyone, but after last week’s weather, I figured that one more time this season couldn’t hurt.
Before I talk about the cold weather, I wanted to pass along the latest news that we received. This year, Brookings County is sponsoring a 2026 Severe Weather Awareness Training session on March 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The session will be at the East Fire Station, 607 20th Ave., which is just east of Burger King.
I recommend that you arrive before 6:30 p.m. because it will be standing room only more than likely, and remember this is not a storm chasing class, but a training class on awareness of what look for during severe weather.
Winter weather-related warnings, watches and advisories are issued by the local National Weather Service office. Each office knows the local area and will issue warnings, watches or advisories based on local criteria. For example, the amount of snow that triggers a “winter storm warning” in the Northern Plains is typically much higher than the amount needed to trigger a “winter storm warning” in the Southeast.
Warnings: Take action
• Blizzard warnings are issued for frequent gusts greater than or equal to 35 mph accompanied by falling and/or blowing snow, frequently reducing visibility to less than 1/4 mile for three hours or more. A blizzard warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibility are likely, leading to whiteout conditions making travel extremely difficult. Do not travel. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle and wait for help to arrive.
• Winter storm warnings are issued for a significant winter weather event including snow, ice, sleet or blowing snow or a combination of these hazards. Travel will become difficult or impossible in some situations. Delay your travel plans until conditions improve.
• Ice storm warnings are usually issued for ice accumulation of around 1/4 inch or more. This amount of ice accumulation will make travel dangerous or impossible and likely lead to snapped power lines and falling tree branches. Travel is strongly discouraged.
• Lake-effect snow warnings are issued when widespread or localized lake induced snow squalls or heavy showers are expected to produce significant snowfall accumulation. Lake-effect snow usually develops in narrow bands and impacts a limited area. These bands can produce very heavy snow with sudden restrictions in visibility. Driving conditions may become hazardous at times.
Watches: Be prepared
• Winter storm watches are issued when conditions are favorable for a significant winter storm event (heavy sleet, heavy snow, ice storm, heavy snow and blowing snow or a combination of events.)
Advisories: Be aware
• Winter weather advisories are issued when snow, blowing snow, ice, sleet, or a combination of these wintry elements is expected but conditions should not be hazardous enough to meet warning criteria. Be prepared for winter driving conditions and possible travel difficulties. Use caution when driving.
• Wind chill advisories are issued when low wind chill temperatures are expected but will not reach local warning criteria. Extremely cold air and strong winds will combine to generate low wind chill readings. If you must venture outdoors, take precautions against frostbite and hypothermia. See the NWS wind chill chart.
• Lake effect snow advisory are issued for widespread or localized lake effect snowfall accumulation (and blowing snow) remaining below warning criteria. Expects lake effect snow showers and assume travel will be difficult in some areas. Some localized snow bands will be intense enough to produce several inches in a few areas with sudden restrictions in visibility.
Here are some more key terms to understand:
• Freezing rain: Rain that freezes when it hits the ground; creating a coating of ice on roads, walkways, trees and power lines.
• Sleet: Rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet also causes moisture on roads to freeze and become slippery.
Beginning on Oct. 1, 2024, there were changes made to the NWS cold headlines. These changes were made at the national level and part of the broader Hazard Simplification Program. For our part of the country, a summary of these changes includes:
• Discontinuation of hard freeze watch/warning, which will be consolidated into freeze watch/warning
• Wind chill watch transitioning to extreme cold watch
• Wind chill warning transitioning to extreme cold warning
• Wind chill advisory transitioning to cold weather advisory
In addition, the extreme cold watch/warning and cold weather advisory headlines will no longer be based on wind chill, but instead apparent temperature. Meaning, there is no longer a wind component and cold is dangerous with or without wind (i.e. cold is cold!).
Cold headlines will now be separate from any other winter headline. In the past, cold hazards were generally lumped into winter storm/blizzard/ice warnings or winter weather advisories. With these new changes, cold headlines may be in effect concurrently with other winter headlines.
Ice conditions
Closing out this week’s article is one last reminder that being on ice on bodies of water can be risky this time of year. The following information comes from here.
Temperature, snow cover, currents, springs and rough fish all affect the relative safety of ice. Ice is seldom the same thickness over a single body of water; it can be 2 feet thick in one place and 1 inch thick a few yards away.
Our recommendations are based on average equipment weight and assume solid, clear ice. You are responsible for knowing the weight of your vehicle, equipment and bodies.
Many factors other than thickness affect ice strength, including air temperature, wind, snow, streams, narrow areas or bottlenecks, sun, shade, fish communities, plant decay, and more. When a layer of snow melts and refreezes on top of lake ice, it creates white ice, only about half as strong as new, clear ice. Double the thickness guidelines when traveling on white ice.
Be safe out there and always keep an eye on the sky.
— Bob Hill is the emergency management director for Brookings County.
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