Visual metaphors are one of the primary tools of data storytellers because they can help communicate novel or complicated information by relating the material to something the audience member is hopefully already familiar with. Think of them as shortcuts.
While researching different heat metrics and measurements for the Scientific American article, I came across a similar visual analogy in the wild to explain the difference between a watch and warning.
This applies to a variety of things: heat, tornadoes, tacos. It's both funny, effective, and memorable – A+ visual metaphor.
I was on my way home standing at the train station waiting for my connection, puzzling over how I could visually communicate the differences between heat watches, warnings, and risks. I kept coming back to the taco analogy but couldn't find a way to extend it to risk.
In the context of heat, risk communicates relative danger. To a person who lives in Arizona, 95•F is nothing, but to someone who lives in Maine, that's going to be brutal, right? How could I adopt the taco analogy to show risk? What makes a taco risky??
And then in a literal lightbulb moment, the answer came to me: Hot sauce is what makes a taco risky! And like heat risk, spiciness is something that has regional variability. I grew up in the American south where the spiciest things I encountered on a regular basis were tabasco sauce and pepperoni. And I vividly remember the first time I had Indian cuisine (in college o.O), my friends warning me that even 'two pepper' dishes might be too much for my first time. While a medium amount of spice might be nothing for those who consume Indian food regularly, my lack of experience was about to deal me a great amount of discomfort.
Like a taco, hot sauce is made from an assortment of ingredients. I could literally just change the analogy from tacos to hot sauce and it would work to explain all three categories: watch, warning, and risk! I felt like a genius!
My icon drawing skills might leave much to be desired, but check out the finished product included in the graphic below.

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