The National Weather Service is changing its cold weather alerts and messaging this week, doing away with familiar terms like "windchill watch" and "windchill warning."

The changes, which come just as cooler temps begin to roll in, are part of the National Weather Service's (NWS) Hazard Simplification initiative. The initiative has reduced the number of alerts in recent years based on feedback from the public that the terminology and the number of alerts are confusing.

The goal is to reinforce that cold can be dangerous with or without wind, said NWS Twin Cities meteorologist Jake Beitlich. The agency said windchill warnings have helped to create a misconception that extreme cold is only a threat when it's windy outside.

As a result, past arctic air outbreaks that brought -25 or -30 degree temperatures did not necessarily trigger windchill warnings from the NWS.

"We want folks to know when it's going to be dangerously cold, either because the air temperature is very cold, or the combination of the air temperature and the wind makes it very cold," Beitlich said.

Here's how advisories will be renamed or consolidated

  • "Windchill watch" will be renamed "extreme cold watch."
  • "Windchill warning" will be renamed "extreme cold warning."
  • "Windchill advisory" will be renamed "cold weather advisory."
  • "Hard freeze watch" will be renamed "freeze watch."
  • "Hard freeze warning" will be consolidated to "freeze warning."

The criteria for these cold alerts varies based on region. For the Twin Cities area, minus 25 air temperature or a combination of air temperature and wind would trigger an alert. For St. Cloud and areas north, it drops down to 30 below.

"It needs to be colder as you get north for an advisory, versus if you're in the central or southern part of the state," Beitlich said.