By Mark Woolsey

As brutally cold weather settles into Cobb County and metro Atlanta late Sunday into Monday, you may notice some changed weather terminology.

On Oct.1, the National Weather Service revised its “watch, warning and advisory” products for cold weather. Government meteorologists say it’s designed to simplify and clarify the impact of bitter winter conditions-namely that they can kill.

What used to be a wind chill warning has been renamed an extreme cold warning. In a similar vein, wind chill watches are now called extreme cold watches. And a wind chill advisory is-you’ve got it it-an extreme cold advisory.

The nomenclature for vegetation-killing freezes has also changed. What used to be hard freeze warnings and watchers are now simply freeze warnings and watches.

Put simply, a watch is issued when extreme life-threatening cold is possible. A warning means the chilly conditions are on the way. An advisory denotes less extreme but still concerning cold weather.

The weather service notes that people who venture out in the extreme cold and are not properly protected can fall victim to hypothermia in minutes. Frostbite can also develop quickly when the cold meets exposed skin.