NWS Dallas/Fort Worth Public/Media Guide - Winter Weather Introduction Frame

<body bgcolor="#ffffff" leftmargin="0" topmargin="0"> <table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" border="0"> <tr bgcolor="#cccccc"> <td width="10"> </td> <td align="left"><span class="white">National Weather Service</span></td> <td align="right"><span class="white">Dallas/Fort Worth</span></td> <td width="10"> </td> </tr> </table> <div align="center"><table width="90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tr><td><br> <h3>Winter Weather</h3> <ul> <li><a href="#intro">Introduction</a></li> <li><a href="windefsf.htm">Winter Weather Definitions</a></li> <li><a href="wsoutlookf.htm">Winter Storm Outlook</a> (SPS, WUUS1)</li> <li><a href="wswatchf.htm">Winter Storm Watch</a> (WSW, WWUS44)</li> <li><a href="wswarnf.htm">Winter Weather Warnings and Advisories</a> (WSW, WWUS44)</li> <li><a href="freezef.htm">Freeze Warning</a> (NPW, WWUS74)</li> <li><a href="chillf.htm">Wind Chill Advisory</a> (NPW, WWUS74)</li> <li><a href="w_safetyf.htm">Winter Weather Safety</a></li> </ul> <div align="center"><h4><a name="intro">Introduction</a></h4></div> Winter storms are generated by disturbances along boundaries between cold polar and warm tropical air. The "front" is the boundary where air masses of different temperatures and densities meet.<br><br> Winter storms are deceptive killers. Their danger persists year to year. From 1936 to 1978, snowstorms caused more than 3,500 deaths. More than a third of these were attributed to automobile and other accidents; just less than one-third to overexertion, exhaustion, and consequent fatal heart attack; fewer than 500 to exposure and fatal freezing; and the rest to such causes as home fires, carbon monoxide poisoning inside stalled cars, falls on slippery walkways, electrocution from downed wires, and building collapse. Everyone is potentially at risk during winter storms. The actual threat each person faces depends upon the specific situation.<br><br> All non-routine winter weather products, whether the first issuance or the final closing statement, are issued with the winter weather identifier WSW (WWUS46). Winter storm watches evolve into warnings, advisories, or are canceled. Although Wind Chill Advisories and Freeze Warnings are associated with winter weather, they are also Non-Precipitation Weather hazards, and have been assigned to the non-precipitation weather hazards category (NPW).<br><br> Following are different types of winter weather advisories and corresponding warnings issued by the NWS office in Fort Worth. By nature, there is usually a combination of different types of winter weather contained within any winter storm. They can be combined into one product to reflect the structure of the storm and its impact on the region.<br><br></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">NWS Dallas/Fort Worth: <a href="../fwd/">Home</a> | <a href="../fwd/forecast.htm">Forecasts</a> | <a href="../fwd/currentwx.html">Current Weather</a> | <a href="http://weather.noaa.gov/radar/national.html">Radar</a> | <a href="http://204.185.136.10/awc/aviation_weather_center.html">Aviation</a> | <a href="../fwd/skywarn.html">Preparedness</a><br> <a href="../fwd/lakes.htm">Hydrology & River Info</a> | <a href="../fwd/radio.html">NOAA Weather Radio</a> | <a href="../fwd/ntexclima.html">Climat Data</a> </td> </tr> </table> <br><br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" width="100%" border="0" bgcolor="#000000"> <tr align="center"> <td width="2%"> </td> <td align="left" width="30%"><b><span class="white">Introduction</span></b></td> <td width="5%"><a onmouseover="act('fb')" onmouseout="inact('fb')" href="../severe/severef.htm"><img src="../images/fboff.gif" alt="Severe Weather Introduction" width="23" height="23" border="0" name="fb"></a></td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="5%"><a onmouseover="act('b')" onmouseout="inact('b')" href="../severe/s_safetyf.htm"><img src="../images/boff.gif" alt="Severe Weather Safety" width="23" height="23" border="0" name="b"></a></td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="6%"><a onmouseover="act('co')" onmouseout="inact('co')" href="../contents.htm"><img src="../images/cooff.gif" alt="Table of Contents" width="23" height="23" border="0" name="co"></a></td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="5%"><a onmouseover="act('f')" onmouseout="inact('f')" href="windefsf.htm"><img src="../images/foff.gif" alt="Winter Weather Definations" width="23" height="23" border="0" name="f"></a></td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="5%"><a onmouseover="act('ff')" onmouseout="inact('ff')" href="../npw/npwf.htm"><img src="../images/ffoff.gif" alt="Non-Precipitation Weather" width="23" height="23" border="0" name="ff"></a></td> <td align="right" width="30%"><b><span class="white">Winter Weather Products</span></b></td> <td width="2%"> </td> </tr> </table> </div> </body>