First Alert Weather

What exactly is First Alert Weather?

First Alert Weather is a commitment from the News 4 First Alert Weather Team to keep you informed 24/7 on-air, online and on mobile about changing weather conditions that affect you and your family. In addition to providing the most updated forecasts and current conditions in our regularly scheduled newscasts and on KMOV.com and the KMOV news app, the First Alert Weather Team will issue a “First Alert Weather Day” to give you advance notice when we see conditions that could be dangerous or impactful for the St. Louis region.

What exactly is a First Alert Weather Day?

It’s a day when you can expect to have a significant impact from the weather. We may declare a News4 First Alert Weather Day when any of the following weather hazards appear likely:

• Strong to severe storms, which could include damaging hail, dangerous lightning, and destructive tornadoes
• Heavy rains which could cause flash flooding conditions
• A dangerously hot day or extreme heat or heat indices
• A dangerously cold day or extreme wind chills
• Snow or ice, especially impacting the commute or causing delays and slick roads
• High winds that would lead to downed trees, power outages, or a wildfire threat.
• Extreme river flooding

Our mission is to give you as much advance notice on weather that could have a big impact on you and your family. The process begins when we issue a “First Alert Day” on the 7 Day forecast. We do this when we see these possible dangerous weather conditions coming together. There are some cases when we hold off on issuing the alert day due to uncertainty. We take this forecast very seriously and do it to alert you - not alarm you. Protecting you and your family is our main concern when it comes to the often-volatile conditions in our region.

Is a First Alert Weather Day the same as a Watch or Warning issued by the Weather Service?

No. Only the National Weather Service will issue watches and warnings and we will relay those to you on-air, online and on the KMOV weather app. However, a First Alert Weather Day is issued by our team of News4 meteorologists to give you advance notice (often days in advance) of when watches and warnings could be issued by the weather service or other highly impactful weather in the region.

How do we know if it is a First Alert Weather Day?

We will notify you on-air, online, on the KMOV Weather App and on social media. We will have a “First Alert Day” icon on a specific day in our 7-day forecast. You’ll receive special First Alert messages on the KMOV Weather app, a text message if you subscribe to our breaking news alert message and an email if you subscribe to our First Alert email. We will also link you to this story on social media.

What’s the difference between a First Alert Weather Day and First Alert Storm Mode?

First Alert Weather Days are advance notice before the storm hits, often days in advance. First Alert Storm Mode is when the storm is hitting or imminent.

When and if the News 4 First Alert Team determines the First Alert Weather Day has reached a critical level and the storm is affecting a wide population range in the region, we will go into First Alert Storm Mode.

How can I begin to prepare now - even if a News4 First Alert Weather Day is not in effect?

Download the FREE KMOV weather app to get alerts on-the-go and on your travels. Bookmark our Interactive Radar on your web browser where you can track hail, lighting and rotation. You’ll also be able to stream all our newscasts and special weather coverage online and on mobile. “Like” News 4 and our First Alert meteorologists on Facebook or Twitter. Set up a Twitter search for the hashtag #4FirstAlert so you can easily monitor updates.

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