AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Cold Weather Advisory for Central Texas, anticipating cooler-than-normal temperatures next week. Does this advisory seem new to you? It should. Beginning on October 1st of last year, the NWS revised several of its cold weather alert products. Key changes include the elimination of wind chill alerts to simplify weather messaging. Wind Chill Watches have been renamed Extreme Cold Watches, Wind Chill Warnings have been renamed Extreme Cold Warnings, and Wind Chill Advisories have been renamed Cold Weather Advisories.
The NWS explains the reasoning behind the changes: "These updates aim to clarify that cold can be dangerous with or without wind, addressing the common misconception that extreme cold is only tied to colder temperatures when there is wind. Dangerously cold weather can occur before or after wintry precipitation, and the cold messaging can often be overshadowed by the wintry conditions."
The criteria for issuing a Cold Weather Advisory (CWA) differ for the Hill Country and the Austin metro area. A CWA will be issued if the air temperature or wind chill is at or below 15° in the Hill Country. In the eastern counties, a CWA will be issued if the air temperature or wind chill is at or below 20°. Cold Weather Advisories can be issued multiple times.
