Blizzard Warning issued

The National Weather Service has now issued a Blizzard Warning.

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
451 AM EST TUE FEB 1 2011

…POWERFUL WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE REGION…

.A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT…SUPPORTING HEAVY SNOW AND MIXED PRECIPITATION INTO THE AREA. AFTER A LULL IN ACTIVITY THIS MORNING…HEAVY SNOW WITH SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING IS LIKELY BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON OVER MUCH OF THE AREA…POSSIBLY MIXING WITH SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN SOUTH OF US 24. VERY HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING…ENDING BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT…WITH ISOLATED SNOW PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS BEING POSSIBLE. SNOW WILL MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN SOUTH OF ROUTE 24…WITH SIGNIFICANT ICING POSSIBLE. ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND ONE QUARTER INCH ARE POSSIBLE…WITH THE HIGHEST ICING POTENTIAL NEAR AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MARION INDIANA TO OTTAWA OHIO. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 18 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS SYSTEM…WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF OVER 20 INCHES NOT OUT OF
THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY. THESE HIGHER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE ACROSS FAR NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH…WILL CREATE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW…WITH DRIFTS POTENTIALLY REACHING SEVERAL FEET IN SOME LOCATIONS. BLIZZARD TO NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN MANY AREAS…ESPECIALLY ACROSS FAR NORTHERN INDIANA…SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND FAR NORTHWEST OHIO. VISIBILITIES WILL BE DOWN TO ZERO AT TIMES TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. TRAVEL WILL LIKELY BE DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE IN MANY AREAS…WITH ROAD CLOSURES LIKELY.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES ON THIS DANGEROUS WINTER STORM…ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE PLANNING TRAVEL IN THE REGION.

[…] …BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM EST /NOON CST/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ WEDNESDAY…

…WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM EST /NOON CST/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

* TIMING…AFTER A SHORT LULL IN SNOW THIS MORNING…SNOW WILL EXPAND IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON…ENDING WEDNESDAY EVENING. WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT…WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT.

* MAIN IMPACT…SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 18 INCHES ARE EXPECTED…WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN NORTHWEST INDIANA AND
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH WILL CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS…WITH ZERO VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW AT TIMES AND SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING. SNOW DRIFTS OF 4 TO 8 FEET WILL BE POSSIBLE IN MANY OPEN AREAS.

* OTHER IMPACTS…TRAVEL WILL BE HIGHLY IMPACTED WITH HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW CREATING VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. HIGHWAY CREWS WILL LIKELY HAVE A HARD TIME KEEPING UP WITH THE CONDITIONS…LEADING TO SEVERAL ROAD CLOSURES. UNNECESSARY TRAVEL SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. POWER OUTAGES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE DUE TO WET HEAVY SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS…MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED…STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

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