04-03-2025
Here's why ‘Excessive Heat Warnings' are going away
KXAN (AUSTIN) — As part of the National Weather Service's 'Hazard Simplification Program,' Excessive Heat Watches and Excessive Heat Warnings will be undergoing a name change starting March 4, 2025.
Going forward the word 'Excessive' will be replaced by the word 'Extreme' in these warnings.
The National Weather Service said the change will 'align our terminology with the Extreme Cold Watch and Warning products' and provide more consistency among weather partners.
Just last year, the National Weather Service consolidated a number of its winter weather and freezing temperature-related products to simplify and consolidate the verbiage surrounding freezing cold and removed references to 'Wind Chill' in those warnings.
Frozen out! The NWS won't issue these winter alerts anymore
If you remember, those new winter weather alerts became Cold Weather Advisory and Extreme Cold Warning.
They also removed the 'Hard Freeze Watch' and 'Hard Freeze Warning' and consolidated down to just 'Freeze Watch' and 'Freeze Warning.'
The changing of the words 'Excessive Heat' to 'Extreme Heat' creates a more consistent language in these heat-related warnings.
The alert 'Heat Advisory' will remain unchanged and will be the warm-weather equivalent of Cold Weather Advisory.
In Central Texas, we have specific criteria that prompt issuing either a Heat Advisory or the new Extreme Heat Warning.
Heat Advisories are issued either when air temperatures are expected to climb to or above 103° or heat index values are expected to climb to or above 108°
Extreme Heat Warnings are issued when air temperatures are expected to climb to or above 105° or heat index values are expected to climb to or above 113°.
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