Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I tell you what I think about the map?
• What do all the colors on this map mean?
• Is there a list of all the warnings and watches and the color codes?
• How often does the map update?
• The colors on the maps recently changed, why?
• When I click on the map for a forecast, I get a forecast for a completely different area. Why?

Can I tell you what I think about the map?

You are welcome to provide us feedback about the Watch/Warning maps here http://www.nws.noaa.gov/survey/nws-survey.php?code=conus_wwa_map.

Web Based Watch/Warning/Advisory Map Colors

The National Weather Service issues a variety of severe weather warnings, watches, advisories, and statements. These warnings, watches, etc. may be issued for a single forecast zone (usually one county or a part of a county) or for many forecast zones. The events are indicated on the map by different colors. Only one event per forecast zone can be shown on the map at a time, a forecast zone may have severeal warnings and watches in effect but only the most crucial one is displayed on the map. By clicking on the map to the forecast pages, you can read the text of all warnings, watches, etc. in effect for the forecast zone.

Is there a list of all warnings and watches and the colors?

Below is a list of all warnings, watches, advisories, and statements that display on the maps and the associated color and color name.

Weather Event	Color Sample	Color Name
Tornado Warning		Red
Severe Thunderstorm Warning		Orange
Flash Flood Warning		Dark Red
Tsunami Warning		Tomato
Inland Hurricane Wind Warning		Western Red
Hurricane Force Wind Warning		Western Red
Hurricane Warning		Crimson
Typhoon Warning		Crimson
Storm Warning		Dark Violet
Blizzard Warning		Orange Red
Ice Storm Warning		Dark Magenta
Heavy Snow Warning		Blue Violet
Tropical Storm Warning		Fire brick
Winter Storm Warning		Hot Pink
Inland Tropical Storm Warning		Fire Brick
Coastal Flood Warning		Forest Green
Lakeshore Flood Warning		Forest Green
High Surf Warning		Forest Green
Heavy Sleet Warning		Sky Blue
Flood Warning		Lime
High Wind Warning		Goldenrod
Lake Effect Snow Warning		Dark Cyan
Excessive Heat Warning		Medium Violet-red
Red Flag Warning		Deep Pink
Wind Chill Warning		Light Steel Blue
Avalanche Warning		Dodger Blue
Dust Storm Warning		Bisque
Freeze Warning		Cyan
Gale Warning		Plum
Flash Flood Statement		Yellow Green
Special Marine Warning		Pale Violet-red
Severe Weather Statement		Aqua
Tornado Watch		Yellow
Severe Thunderstorm Watch		Pale Violet-red
Flash Flood Watch		Lime Green
Hurricane Watch		Magenta
Typhoon Watch		Magenta
Hurricane Local Statement		Medium Purple
Typhoon Local Statement		Medium Purple
Snow and Blowing Snow Advisory		Powder Blue
Freezing Rain Advisory		Slate Blue
Freezing Drizzle Advisory		Slate Blue
Sleet Advisory		Medium Slate Blue
Winter Weather Advisory		Burlywood
Lake Effect Snow Advisory		Medium Turquoise
Wind Chill Advisory		Pale Turquoise
Heat Advisory		Coral
Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory		Spring Green
Small Stream Flood Advisory		Spring Green
Minor Flood Advisory		Spring Green
Flood Advisory		Spring Green
High Surf Advisory		Medium Orchid
Blowing Snow Advisory		Light Blue
Snow Advisory		Medium Blue
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning		Deep Sky Blue
Dense Smoke Advisory		Khaki
Small Craft Advisory		Thistle
Dense Fog Advisory		Slate Gray
Marine Weather Statement		Dark Orchid
Lake Wind Advisory		Tan
Wind Advisory		Tan
Blowing Dust Advisory		Dark Khaki
Frost Advisory		Cornflower Blue
Ashfall Advisory		Dark Gray
Freezing Fog Advisory		Teal
Air Stagnation Advisory		Gray
Tsunami Watch		Fushia
Coastal Flood Watch		Medium Aquamarine
Lakeshore Flood Watch		Medium Aaquamarine
Flood Watch		Sea Green
Blizzard Watch		Green Yellow
Inland Tropical Storm Watch		Light Coral
Tropical Storm Watch		Light Coral
Inland Hurricane Watch		Light Salmon
Winter Storm Watch		Steel Blue
Lake Effect Snow Watch		Peru
High Wind Watch		Dark Goldenrod
Excessive Heat Watch		Maroon
Wind Chill Watch		Cadet Blue
Freeze Watch		Royal Blue
Fire Weather Watch		Navajo White
Avalanche Watch		Sandy Brown
Earthquake Warning		Saddle Brown
Local Area Emergency		Silver
Law Enforcement Warning		Silver
911 Telephone Outage		Silver
Hazardous Materials Warning		Indigo
Nuclear Power Plant Warning		Indigo
Radiological Hazard Warning		Indigo
Civil Danger Warning		Light Pink
Civil Emergency Message		Light Pink
Evacuation - Immediate		Chartreuse
Fire Warning		Sienna
Shelter In Place Warning		Salmon
Volcano Warning		Dim Gray
Coastal Flood Statement		Olive Drab
Lakeshore Flood Statement		Olive Drab
Flood Statement		Spring Green
Special Weather Statement		Moccasin
Short Term Forecast		Dark Sea Green
Fire Danger Statement		Dark Salmon
Hazardous Weather Outlook		Pale Goldenrod
Child Abduction Emergency		Gold
Test		Azure

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New Web Based Watch/Warning/Advisory Map Colors

Why change the colors? The previous map process allowed only 30 colors to be used. This caused complaints when we tried to use one color for several different watch/warning/advisory products. The new map process allows than 80 colors (one for each product). In theory, this allows us to convey more information to the users

• The new colors were basedlined from suggestions from web usablity experts. They are less "glarey" and toned down to be easier on the eyes;
• The increase of colors allowed products to be grouped by hue; For instance frost and freeze are blue, colors usually associated with the cold.

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How often does the map update?

The map updates approximately every 5 minutes with all warnings, watches, advisories, and statements in effect.

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When I click on the map for a forecast, I get a forecast for a completely different area. Why?

The map pages were set up for optimized for either 4 X 3 (1.33) or 5 X 4 (1.25) aspects. Many new laptop screen resolutions are optimized for wide-screen DVD displays (16 X 9 or a 1.6 or 1.77 aspect).

If you have recently purchased a new laptop with a wide screen and you find that you click in one area and get forecasts for a different location, you may want to check your screen resolution and set to one of the following: (Microsoft has provided instructions for checking or changing screen resolution on the Microsoft Windows XP website)

800 X 600 (aspect 1.333) (SVGA)
1024 X 768 (aspect 1.333)
1152 X 864 (aspect 1.333)
1280 X 768 (aspect 1.25) (XGA)
1280 X 1024 (aspect 1.25) (SXGA)
1400 X 1050 (aspect 1.333) (SXGA+)
1600 X 1200 (aspect 1.333) (UXGA)
1600 X 1280 (aspect 1.25)

Resolutions that are most likely to cause problems with the "Point and Click" interface of the WWA maps include:
1366 X 768 (aspect 1.778)(WXGA)
1680 X 1050 (aspect 1.6)(WSXCA+)
1920 X 1200 (aspect 1.778)(UXGA)

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