In the spring we see so many weather alerts. We're bombarded by watches and warnings. It's hard to keep it all straight. But there is a difference between the time to be cautious and the time to act.

A watch means the atmosphere is ripe for storms that can produce life-threatening situations. They will be issued an hour or two before anything actually happens. Watches to look for include flash flooding, severe thunderstorm, and tornado. A watch means we're watching for severe weather.

A warning is issued when dangerous weather conditions are in your area. A tornado, large hail, or flash flooding is an immediate threat to you and your family. A warning means take immediate action.