Guide
Watch vs. Warning vs. Advisory: What Weather Alerts Mean
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The National Weather Service (NWS) uses three main alert levels. Knowing the difference tells you how much time you have.
| Alert | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Watch | Conditions are favorable for the hazard. It may happen, but it isn't happening yet. | Be prepared. Review your plan and know where you'd shelter. |
| Warning | The hazard is happening or about to happen. | Take action now to protect life and property. |
| Advisory | A less serious hazard that can still cause significant inconvenience. | Be aware and use caution. |
An easy way to remember
NWS compares it to cooking: a watch means the ingredients for severe weather are in place; a warning means the recipe is happening now.
Who issues them
- Tornado and severe thunderstorm watches usually come from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center and cover large areas for several hours.
- Warnings come from your local NWS forecast office and are drawn as polygons around the threatened area.
- Hurricane watches and warnings come from the National Hurricane Center.
Getting alerts
Use more than one way to get warnings: Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone, NOAA Weather Radio, local media and an alert app. Make sure your phone's emergency alerts are switched on.
Related guides
Your World Weather Radar
The app shows NWS alerts as compact cards, and can notify you in the background.
Sources
Sister app
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- 💨 Wind, barometric pressure, moon and sun times, plus deer feeding times (Premium)
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Last reviewed November 2026. General information only; follow official guidance in an emergency.