What you need to know about severe weather alerts in Minnesota

When severe weather rolls through, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the notifications. Here are the four things you need to know about weather alerts and warnings. You'll want to understand the difference between watches and warnings.

A watch means severe thunderstorms, tornadoes or flooding is possible. The ingredients are there, but the threat is still to come. They tend to be issued first — up to a few hours in advance.



A warning means the threat is imminent and it's time to put your safety plan into action.Outdoor sirens don't necessarily mean a threat for tornadoes. Sometimes, they are sounded for damaging winds or hail.

They're operated by cities or counties, each with their own rules. But regardless of why, if you hear one, it means it's time to seek shelter.It's always a good idea to have multiple ways to receive warnings, whether that's your cellphone, WCCO or a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio.

If one method isn't working, you'll want that backup to alert you so you can take action.Even days before severe weather is expected, WCCO will share with you outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center. It's a five-tiered scale letting you know how big the threat is.

Level one, or marginal, means isolated severe storms are possible. Level three, or enhanced, means even more severe storms are possible, and some could be intense. Level five, or high, means severe storms are expected to be widespread.

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