Updated Blizzard Warning from the National Weather Service:
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1200 PM EST TUE FEB 1 2011…POWERFUL AND DANGEROUS WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE REGION…
.STRONG LOW PRESSURE ACROSS SOUTHERN ARKANSAS LATE THIS MORNING WILL CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY AS IT TRACKS INTO WESTERN KENTUCKY THIS EVENING…AND THEN TO NORTHERN OHIO BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. AREAS MAINLY SOUTH OF ROUTE 24 WILL EXPERIENCE PATCHY LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. AS A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE EJECTS NORTHEAST OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING…HEAVY SNOW…SLEET…AND FREEZING RAIN WILL SEVERELY IMPACT THE AREA. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT… WITH ISOLATED SNOW PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS BEING POSSIBLE THAT COULD PRODUCE EVEN LOCALLY HIGHER SNOWFALL RATES. 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 TO ONE HALF 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. 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 NOW IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM EST /4 PM CST/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ WEDNESDAY…
THE BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM EST /4 PM CST/THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ WEDNESDAY.
* TIMING…A LULL IN THE ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MID AFTERNOON HOURS. ALTHOUGH…SOME PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO EXPAND IN COVERAGE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INCREASE IN INTENSITY EARLY THIS EVENING. SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY…WITH THE GREATEST SNOWFALL RATES TONIGHT. SNOW AND WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SOME SLEET MAY ALSO MIX IN WITH THE SNOW TONIGHT.
* 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 BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND 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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