Winter can bring a variety of hazardous weather conditions to the Natural State, including heavy snow, ice, and cold temperatures. These conditions can make driving conditions hazardous, with power outages occurring at times. If you are not prepared, you may become exposed to the elements...with your life threatened. To help Arkansans prepare for these conditions, a special week has been set to review winter weather safety tips and to better understand the hazards of winter. This year, we highlight the science and dangers associated with winter weather in our Winter Weather Awareness Week, which runs from December 1st - December 7th, 2024. For our Winter Weather Awareness Week, the following safety topics will be highlighted: Monday: Outlook for the Upcoming Winter — Provides a general outlook for the temperature and precipitation expectations expected from December - February across Arkansas this winter season. Tuesday: Winter Precipitation Types — Highlights the different types of wintry precipitation that are possible across the state and what weather conditions typically cause these different types of wintry weather. Wednesday: Winter Weather Watches, Warnings and Advisories — We will describe what the National Weather Service means when we issue winter weather watches, warnings, and advisories this winter. We have adjusted our messaging for extreme cold. Extreme cold weather warnings and advisories will replace legacy wind chill products! Thursday: Winter Weather Safety Rules — We’ll talk about what you can do to prepare for winter storms, and offer tips & strategies to help keep you and your family safe at home, or while you’re travelling across Arkansas this winter. Friday: The Cold of Winter — We’ll be talking more about winter weather safety… but focusing strictly on cold weather versus staying safe in times of frozen precipitation. Even without snow and ice, cold air temperatures can lead to exposure dangers for you and your home if you’re not properly prepared. Each day we will be releasing information via social media, our web page, and NOAA Weather Radio highlighting the content listed above. During this week, for more information, please visit: http://www.weather.gov/LZK/win1a.htm
