Into the Vault: A Look at Storm Terminology

The spring season in Texas is known for its blue bonnets, its heavy amount of pollen and its extreme weather, including thunderstorms, tornados, hail and a LOT of rain. With the frequency and intensity of storms increasing during this time of year, it’s important to have a clear understanding of storm terminology.

Today, we’re going into the Waterways Vault to take a look at some common weather terms and what they mean for the community of Valley Ranch.

Weather Watches

A watch is issued whenever conditions have the potential to result in a hazardous storm or other weather event that could result in injury or damage to property.

Like any other weather forecasting, not all watches result in the weather event identified. Watches are intended to assist public safety personnel and the general public in being prepared for a potentially imminent and significant storm.

Weather Advisories

Advisories are issued when forecasters observe that a weather event is either occurring, imminent or likely to occur. Events that receive advisories frequently result in conditions that could interfere with daily routines or create a hazardous situation.

One benefit of receiving an advisory is that there’s often time to make or adjust plans accordingly. For example, an advisory can give you time to change travel plans, prepare your home or business or make important repairs that could improve your property’s safety or performance in severe weather.

Know that the presence or absence of an advisory does not guarantee any particular weather outcome. An advisory should be considered as an early step in helping ensure that people are weather aware.

Weather Warnings

Warnings demand immediate individual and community action. When a weather warning is issued for an area, it’s often important to take shelter and remain aware of the current weather conditions to remain safe. Warnings carry a more significant danger level, implying that conditions are to a point where harm to individuals and property is possible.

As previously mentioned, while a warning can’t guarantee that the specified conditions will follow in your area (such as a tornado warning), they do mean that there’s a higher likelihood of the event, so extreme caution should be exercised.

While IFCD 3 and other public agencies are prepared to address significant weather well ahead of an advisory, watch or warning, the District and other public safety personnel take immediate action. In our case, we ensure that people, sluice gates, pumps and other flood control facilities are activated according to IFCD 3 operating plans, with team members at their posts in readiness to act and keep water in our system at proper levels.

The types of weather that can create advisories, watches or warnings are varied. The most common situations are major rain, snow or ice storms, as well as lightning, wind, hail and tornados, each of which requires a customized approach. The National Weather Service is responsible for triggering a series of alerts of impending weather issues for first responders and the news media.

For more information about these terms and the work of the National Weather Service, visit weather.gov. Additionally, if you have questions regarding flood control in Valley Ranch, visit us on X or Facebook and check out more of our Waterways blogs to learn more.