The onset of Blizzard 2014 has brought with it various advisories, warnings and declarations. With all the chaos that accompanies a severe winter storm, it can be a bit confusing keeping all these advisories straight.

The gray area shows where a Wind Chill Warning remains in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Bearing that in mind, we would like to offer some clarification on these designations, as well as update readers on the current state of affairs in Kosciusko County and the surrounding areas.

As of 3:20 p.m. this afternoon, Kosciusko County, as well as Marshall, Whitley and Elkhart counties and most of northeastern Indiana and parts of southern Michigan and northwestern Ohio, were under a Winter Storm Warning. According to the National Weather Service, a Winter Storm Warning is issued “when a dangerous combination of heavy snow, with sleet and/or freezing rain, will occur or has a high probability of occurring within the next 12 hours.” That warning expired at 4 p.m.

There remains a Wind Chill Warning in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday. This is put into effect when wind chill factors computed to be as much as 45 degrees below zero and physical exposure can quickly lead to hypothermia, frostbite and even death.

So what does that mean for Kosciusko County? Well, there’s the sub-zero temperatures and wind gusts up to 30 mph. Combine that with blowing/drifting snow and a wind chill that feels like minus 30 degrees, and that makes for brutal winter weather conditions.

We reported earlier today that Kosciusko County Commissioners President Ron Truex signed a level III state of emergency on Sunday. Kosciusko was one of 27 counties in northern Indiana to declare a state of emergency.

A state of emergency alerts citizens to change their normal behavior and orders government agencies to implement emergency plans. In Kosciusko County’s case, that means prohibiting any non-emergency workers from traveling the roads until further notice. However, the order does allow for employees to travel to and from work.

Elkhart County was under a snow emergency for the last 24 hours. This advisory is similar to what was declared in Kosciusko. Many of the roads in Elkhart County are hazardous or impassable and citizens were urged to stay off the road while emergency workers worked to clear roadways. As of 6 p.m. Monday that was downgraded to a winter watch.

Other nearby areas, such as Tippecanoe and Marion counties, are under a Winter Weather Advisory. This particular advisory – which calls for less severe conditions  – is issued for 4 inches to 7 inches of snowfall in a 24-hour period.

So, for most of the surrounding areas, road conditions are still poor. Ultimately, it’s still best to stay off the road.

For more information on winter weather advisories, visit the NWS glossary of winter weater terms. We will have updates on weather conditions as they’re made available. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information.