The problem for me is that the words “watch” and “warning” do not necessarily convey different levels of urgency to me. Both mean, “Be aware of something that could possibly happen.” So an hour from now I could very well remember that the taco ingredients was the Warning and the fully formed taco is the Watch.
They should have chosen different words.
Like “Tornado Be On the Lookout,” and “Tornado GTFO.”
But it can’t send you out. It needs to be “Tornado GTF to an interior room or basement.” 
Love this!!!
I bet I was louder when doing my first few post partum poops 
Blurring doesn’t negate TMI.
(And I’m ok with TMI, but just pointing out that I’m not the only one who breaches TMI protocols. 
)
Maybe your difficulty with “watch” and “warning” is because you are not in a place that gets stormy systems, unlike the midwest. Each year we get many watches and warnings for high wind, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, wind chill, winter storms, and floods. A watch is like a guard on watch duty, watching out for trouble. A warning is like shouting, “Incoming!”
Yes, and in the south, too. For me, a watch is “be prepared to go to the basement”. Warning means “be in the basement”.
True, but weather terms should be instantly understandable to someone to make sure they know the extent of the emergency.
Or “watch out” when a baseball is headed for your head.
Oh don’t even get me started on those. In winter we have:
Winter weather advisory
Winter storm watch
Winter storm warning
Blizzard warning
And probably 6 others I’ve blocked out at the moment
I was just listing the items which come in both watch and warning forms, not the ones that also come in advisories or as only warnings.
Jeff clearly lives in Arizona…
I’m in Missouri, the show me state. I need to see the tornado-or the taco-before I believe it!
If you’re going to say “show me the taco,” please head over to the Uncensored thread
There is some truth to that here in Michigan as well. For us a tornado warning really means there is a tornado someplace nearby, but probably nowhere near close enough to matter. When we hear a tornado siren, we usually go flip on the TV and watch the newscaster try to convince that some radar blob two counties away is cause to go to the basement! 
That is 100% accurate - look at the skies, turn on the TV and determine if I really do need to get to the basement.
As a lifelong midwesterner, I have never been confused with watch or warning - it’s something you learn or are aware of when little.
or “TIMBER!” when a tree is going to fall on your head.
GTFD
As in Down into wherever you shelter. 
This is actually pretty good - the weather guys say they want something short and sweet like turn around, don’t drown. But here in Missouri there’s plenty of water I’ve driven in. Going 29 miles around is an option to be saved until the current is in fact too powerful.
In school, we were taught: Watch is like the watch on your wrist. It’s there to tell you what time it is. A weather watch is there to tell you what the severe weather is. Warning is like the alarm on a watch. The alarm is alerting you that the time set is here. A weather warning is there to tell you the severe weather is here. It was explained much better in school, lol.
There are plenty of weather warnings in AZ too, just different ones. Right now there is a high wind warning in the Flagstaff area and flood warnings in Maricopa County (where Jeff lives, I believe - Phoenix). AZ has it’s fair share of extreme weather, just no tornados to speak of. But yes to extreme heat, electrical storms, flash flooding (extremely dangerous), high wind, dust storms (haboobs), etc.
