High wind watch: what it means and what to do
“High Wind Watch: Be Prepared! Sustained, strong winds are possible. Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside. NWS offices issue this product based on local criteria.”
weather.gov →High Wind Watches in effect right now
No High Wind Watches in effect right now, 1 High Wind Warning, 13 Wind Advisories.
States: South Dakota, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Hawaii, North Dakota, Arkansas, Missouri
- High Wind Warning until Nov 2, 2026, 10:00 PM ETGuadalupe Mountains of Eddy County; Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet; Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 8:00 AM ETZiebach; Haakon; Northern Jackson; Mellette; Todd; Tripp; Southern Jackson
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 7:00 AM ETSouthern Foothills; Western Fall River; Eastern Fall River
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 7:00 AM ETRapid City; Custer Co Plains; Pennington Co Plains; Northern Oglala Lakota; Sturgis/Piedmont Foothills; Southern Meade Co Plains; Hermosa Foothills
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 8:00 AM ETBennett; Southern Oglala Lakota
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 8:00 AM ETHarding; Northern Perkins; Butte; Northern Meade Co Plains; Southern Perkins
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 7:00 AM ETUnion County
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 11:00 AM ETLanai Mauka; Maui Windward West; Maui Leeward West; Kohala; Maui Central Valley South; South Haleakala; Big Island North
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 1:00 AM ETSlope; Hettinger; Grant; Bowman; Adams; Western Sioux; Eastern Sioux
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 5:00 AM ETTexas; Sherman; Moore; Oldham
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 5:00 AM ETCimarron; Dallam; Hartley
- Wind Advisory until Nov 3, 2026, 8:00 AM ETCorson; Dewey
National Weather Service data, updated Nov 2, 2026, 9:41 PM ET. Not an official warning: follow your local NWS office. All US alerts →
What to do now
- Before: list what needs electricity, keep a flashlight for every person, and ask your provider for a plan for powered medical devices and cold medicines.
- During: keep the fridge and freezer closed, unplug appliances, and use flashlights instead of candles.
- Use generators, camp stoves and grills only outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows. Keep generators that far from doors and vents too.
- After: throw out fridge perishables after 4 hours without power or a cold source, and check refrigerated medicines.
From our power outage checklist guide, which links every source.
Watch, warning or advisory?
Each in the National Weather Service's own words.
High Wind Watch
“High Wind Watch: Be Prepared! Sustained, strong winds are possible. Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside. NWS offices issue this product based on local criteria.”
High Wind Warning
“High Wind Warning: Take Action! Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening. Seek shelter. If you are driving, keep both hands on the wheels and slow down. NWS offices issue this product based on local criteria.”
Wind Advisory
“Wind Advisory: Take Action! Strong winds are occurring but are not so strong as to warrant a High Wind Warning. Objects that are outdoors should be secured and caution should be taken if driving. NWS offices issue this product based on local criteria.”
A watch is a good time to charge phones and power banks and find your utility's outage map, in case the power goes out. NWS's local offices set the exact thresholds for their own area, so what triggers this alert in one place can differ from another.
Get ready before the next one
Also: Portable generator safety · Storm damage
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