Storm Watch vs. Storm Warning: What Is The Difference and What Does it Mean to Your Cleveland Home?

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

Living in the Euclid area, we hear the words ‘storm watch’ and ‘storm warning’ many times throughout the year, but what do they really mean? A storm watch means that weather conditions are at a level where a severe storm can easily develop. A storm warning means that a current storm that already exists could turn even worse.

According to the National Weather Service, they issue two types of watches and three types of warnings during the winter time. A Winter Storm Watch is issued when “conditions [are] favorable for a winter storm event, which is a threat to life or property”, while a Blizzard Watch is issued when “conditions [are] favorable for a blizzard event” with low visibility and high winds. On the other hand, a Winter Storm Warning is issued when there is a heavy snowfall of at least 6 inches in 12 hours, 8 inches in 24 hours, or ½ inch of sleet. A Ice Storm Warning is issued when there is an ice accumulation of at least ¼ inch, while a Blizzard Warning is issued when blizzard conditions continued for at least three hours or more.

For more information on Storm Watches and Warnings, check out https://www.weather.gov/ilx/wwa_social.

If you have any storm damage to your home or commercial property, call If you have questions about basement flooding, call SERVPRO of Beachwood and Cleveland Northeast at 216-464-4498 and we’ll make it “Like it never even happened.” We service the Cleveland area including, but not limited to Beachwood, Newburgh Heights, and Bratenahl.