Only the most imminent life- and property-threatening hazards are broadcasted with the SAME signal and 1050 Hertz warning alarm tone. The NWS issues these alerts when the public has to take immediate action to protect themselves and theirproperty. An operational guideline is that alerts are only for hazards urgent enough to warrant waking people up in the “middle of the night” or otherwise interrupting someone’s activities at any time. This includes tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and more.The NWS does not always tone alert for many winter storms, unless there is a dramatic change to the forecast. Audible tone alerts for winter weather warnings are generally issued only when the storm will pose a very significant threat to life and safety, as in major blizzards or extreme ice storms.