I need this question answered for a Boy Scout Weather Merit Badge workbook.
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A watch means the conditions and the area are good for it to happen. A warning means signs of it are being spotted, like a tornado, they issue a warning if they spot a funnel cloud.
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a watch covers a large area...means severe weather is likely in the next few hours. Often severe thunderstorm watch will occur over a region in front of a cold front.
A warning means Severe weather is about to occur within the next (id say usually about 45 minutes)....warnings are for individual counties or portions of counties and are much smaller than watches. & warnings aren't always associated with watches but they usually are. Isolated severe thunderstorm warnings may occur without a watch being issued first
This map might help you figure it out...The clear boxes are Watches (red is tornado yellow is thunderstorm)...While the solid shaded areas are warnings
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/alerts…
In this case the watches are in front of a cold front.
A warning means Severe weather is about to occur within the next (id say usually about 45 minutes)....warnings are for individual counties or portions of counties and are much smaller than watches. & warnings aren't always associated with watches but they usually are. Isolated severe thunderstorm warnings may occur without a watch being issued first
This map might help you figure it out...The clear boxes are Watches (red is tornado yellow is thunderstorm)...While the solid shaded areas are warnings
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/alerts…
In this case the watches are in front of a cold front.
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A severe weather watch means severe weather could occur in the area. A severe weather warning means that severe weather is imminent or is occurring in the area.