NORFOLK, Va. — What is a Weather Alert Day?
The simple answer: it's a way for the 13News Now Weather Team to let you know when the weather may force you to make changes to your daily life.
The full answer: At WVEC, we've brought you the most accurate forecasts in Hampton Roads for more than 14 years (certified by WeatherRate). Now, we're making an additional commitment to be the first meteorologists to notify you when the forecast indicates weather conditions that will have a notable impact on day-to-day life in our region.
The 13News Now Weather Team will declare a Weather Alert Day as soon as we have high confidence that rough weather will affect you, your commute, your plans or your routine. Whether it's hazardous weather that you need to take extra precautions for, or just a day that you need to be a little more weather aware, our goal with this is to help you prepare ahead of time for weather impacts and keep you and your family safe.
What types of situations will prompt a Weather Alert Day?
- Whenever Hampton Roads is placed under any severe weather watches, including severe thunderstorms, tornados, hurricanes or tropical storms
- When excessive rainfall events could lead to flooding
- When there are extreme or record-breaking temperatures, like dangerous heat or extreme wind chills
- When there are drastic shifts in temperature, like a 30-degree drop overnight
- When there are unusually high winds
- When there are winter storms, especially those that bring snow or ice
- Any and all weather that impacts daily life in our communities
How will you know when there is a Weather Alert Day?
You will know when a Weather Alert Day is declared when you see the Weather Alert Day logo on our weather coverage on all platforms — in our newscasts on TV, and on 13NewsNow.com, our mobile app and our streaming app, 13NewsNow+.
You'll also see red shading on various days within the 7-day forecast, and our graphics will take on a red banner.
When the severe or inclement weather has ended, we will signal the all-clear and transition out of Weather Alert Day coverage. Instances may include the expiration of a tornado or severe thunderstorm watch or the cancelation of a flood or high wind watch.
There may be other circumstances that mark the end of the Weather Alert Day coverage, like the passage and clearing of a cold front that was the trigger for severe weather in Hampton Roads. When the weather is no longer causing moderate to high impacts, Weather Alert Day coverage will no longer be needed.
We encourage you to download the 13News Now app and have several ways to receive severe weather warnings.