Topic: Question About Warnings

[MegaMax]

I have noticed that sometimes 2 warnings will be issued that cover almost the same area. One time the new warning was within an existing warning. Can someone tell me why this is?

[CW2274]

I have noticed that sometimes 2 warnings will be issued that cover almost the same area. One time the new warning was within an existing warning. Can someone tell me why this is?

Overlapping CWA's? Sometimes they don't play well with each other.

[Harryca]

I see this quite a bit, the duplicate warnings are usually for different areas in the zone/county or have extended the expiration but, you need to look at the descriptions to see what areas they are talking about.

For example, there are currently a couple of states that have what appear to be duplicate warnings, Nebraska and Texas.

Nebraska
Flood Warning
- Issued May 09 at 12:10PM CDT until further notice by NWS
Scotts Bluff

Flood Warning
- Issued May 09 at 12:10PM CDT until further notice by NWS
Scotts Bluff

Texas
Flood Warning
- Issued May 09 at 11:40AM CDT until further notice by NWS
Chambers; Liberty

Flood Warning
- Issued May 09 at 11:40AM CDT until further notice by NWS
Chambers; Liberty

If you look at the descriptions for those warnings, you will see they are referring to different areas in the county/zone.

http://ucweather.org/stateadv.php?state=ne
http://ucweather.org/stateadv.php?state=tx

[Harryca]

Here is another good example for Barber County, Kansas.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
- Issued May 09 at 3:40PM CDT until May 09 at 4:45PM CDT by NWS
Barber
Event: Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Alert: THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A
 
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
EASTERN BARBER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
 
* UNTIL 445 PM CDT
 
* AT 340 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF SHARON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM.
HAZARD...UP TO THREE INCH HAIL AND 60 MPH WIND GUSTS.
SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.
IMPACT...PEOPLE AND ANIMALS OUTDOORS WILL BE SEVERELY INJURED.
EXPECT SHATTERED WINDOWS...EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO
ROOFS...SIDING AND VEHICLES.
 
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
KIOWA...HARDTNER...SHARON AND HAZELTON.
TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL...3.00IN
WIND...60MPH
 
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
- Issued May 09 at 3:35PM CDT until May 09 at 4:00PM CDT by NWS
Barber
Event: Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Alert: ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM CDT
FOR NORTHEASTERN BARBER COUNTY...
 
AT 334 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHEAST
OF SHARON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM.
HAZARD...UP TO BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND 60 MPH WIND GUSTS.
SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.
IMPACT...PEOPLE AND ANIMALS OUTDOORS WILL BE SEVERELY INJURED.
EXPECT SHATTERED WINDOWS...EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO
ROOFS...SIDING AND VEHICLES.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SHARON.
HAIL...2.75IN
WIND...60MPH
 

[kcidwx]

This is done when the event in question is expected to continue beyond the expiration time. The WFO then needs to issue a new warning.

[kcidwx]

Also, in the case of severe thunderstorms, a severe thunderstorm warning can be issued for a particular thunderstorm and a second thunderstorm could go severe outside the warning area and be moving towards the current warned area. So a second thunderstorm warning would be issued and could extend/overlap well into the first warnings area. This happens often when thunderstorms develop in a line and train over the same area.