What weather alerts should I check before traveling in the U.S.?

Before traveling, check alerts relevant to the destination and route, including severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, excessive heat, winter storms, high winds, fire weather, hurricanes, coastal hazards and dense fog. The National Weather Service maintains a broad range of watch, warning and advisory products covering these hazards. For a road trip, check every major location along the route; for flights, check both departure and arrival airports. Always prioritize active official warnings over general forecast summaries when making safety decisions.