TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WV ARES BULLETIN NR 09.47 DATE: November 22, 2009
SUBJECT: CHANGES IN WINTER STORM CRITERIA
Starting November 15th, the National Weather Service in Charleston has changed some of the 2009-2010 Winter Storm product Criteria.
Based on the results of a recent research, they are lowering the 12 hour Winter Storm Watch and Warning snowfall criteria for the winter season to a county average of 4 inches. The counties affected in West Virginia are: Boone, Cabell, Calhoun, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mingo, Pleasants, Putnam, Ritchie, Roane, Wayne, Wirt, Wood, and Wyoming.
The 24 hour Winter Storm Watch and Warning snowfall criteria will remain at 6 inches.
The 12 hour advisory criteria will be lowered to 2 inches in the affected counties above.
The 12 hour Winter Storm Watch and Warning snowfall criteria for the 2009-2010 Winter Season will be raised to a county average of 6 inches for the counties of: Pocahontas, Randolph, and Webster.
The National Weather Service is also raising the 24 hour Winter Storm Watch and Warning snowfall criteria to 8 inches and the 12 hour advisory criteria to 4 inches in Pocahontas, Randolph, and Webster.
The 12 hour Winter Storm Watch and Warning snowfall criteria for the 2009-2010 Winter season will remain a county based average of 5 inches for: Barbour, Braxton, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Nicholas, Raleigh, Taylor, Tyler, and Upshur.
The 24 hour Winter Storm Watch and Warning snowfall criteria will be raised to 7 inches, and the 12 hour advisory criteria will remain at 3 inches for the above counties.
For additional information and comments, contact Jeffrey Hovis, Science and Operations Officer, National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Charleston at (304) 746-0180, or at jeffrey.hovis@noaa.gov
(Idea for the bulletin from Ken Riffle, KB8QPW)
Ken Harris WA8LLM
Wood County WV
WV ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
WV ARES District 3 Emergency Coordinator