Extreme cold watch

An extreme cold watch is a weather watch issued by the United States' National Weather Service (NWS) to inform the public that "dangerously cold air, with or without wind, is possible." The extreme cold watch is a 'step' below the "extreme cold warning."

As of 1 October 2024, the NWS replaced the "wind chill watch" with the "extreme cold watch." The NWS officially implemented changes to its wind chill and hard freeze warnings, watches, and advisories (WWAs) as part of its "Hazard Simplification initiative." The goal of these WWA name changes, per the NWS, was "simplifying a suite of cold weather forecast products to improve messaging of winter hazards and provide better decision support." The changes include:

Extreme Cold Consolidation and Renaming

• Wind Chill Watch was renamed to Extreme Cold Watch
• Wind Chill Warning was renamed to Extreme Cold Warning
• Wind Chill Advisory was renamed to Cold Weather Advisory

Freeze Consolidation

• Hard Freeze Watch was renamed to Freeze Watch
• Hard Freeze Warning was consolidated to Freeze Warning

^{Local NWS offices will still determine the standards governing the issuance of such WWAs.}

Example

WWUS75 KPIH 111108
NPWPIH

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
408 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024

IDZ052-053-064-065-120000-
/O.NEW.KPIH.EC.A.0001.240113T0300Z-240113T1600Z/
Arco/Mud Lake Desert-Upper Snake River Plain-Big Hole Mountains-
Teton Valley-
Including the cities of Mud Lake, INL, Craters of the Moon NM, 
Idaho Falls, Rexburg, St. Anthony, Victor, Ashton, Tetonia, 
and Driggs
408 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024

...EXTREME COLD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Dangerously cold wind chills possible. Wind chills as low 
  as 25 below zero.

* WHERE...Arco/Mud Lake Desert, Upper Snake River Plain, Big Hole
  Mountains, and Teton Valley, including but not limited to Mud 
  Lake, INL, Craters of the Moon NM, Idaho Falls, Rexburg, St. 
  Anthony, Victor, Ashton, Tetonia, and Driggs.

* WHEN...From Friday evening through Saturday morning.
* IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite
  on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.

&&

$$