The National Weather Service’s Winter Weather Advisory has been extended until 1 pm this afternoon:
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
415 AM EST MON JAN 27 2014…OCCASIONAL SNOW… BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW… AND BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES…
AN ARCTIC AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA TODAY CAUSING BITTER COLD… LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS… AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. STRONG WINDS THIS MORNING WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TODAY RESULTING IN DECREASING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. HOWEVER THE COLD WILL CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY WITH WIND CHILLS 15 BELOW TO 25 BELOW IN THE MORNING… FALLING TO 25 BELOW TO 35 BELOW TONIGHT… WITH JUST A VERY SLOW IMPROVEMENT TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST /NOON CST/ THIS AFTERNOON…
…WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM EST /6 AM CST/ THIS MORNING TO NOON EST /11 AM CST/ WEDNESDAY…THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST /NOON CST/ THIS AFTERNOON.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
* STRONG WINDS GUSTING TO AROUND 35 MPH WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE DURING THE DAY AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH. THE DRIFTING SNOW OVERNIGHT AND THIS MORNING MAY CAUSE SOME SECONDARY ROADS TO BE IMPASSABLE. LOCALIZED WHITE OUT CONDITIONS ARE STILL POSSIBLE IN OPEN AREAS.
* WIND CHILLS WILL BE 15 BELOW TO 25 BELOW ZERO THIS MORNING…FALLING TO 25 BELOW TO 35 BELOW BY THIS EVENING. THESE DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY… WITH SLOW IMPROVEMENT TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.
IMPACTS…
* DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE IMMINENT TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FROSTBITE OF EXPOSED SKIN CAN OCCUR IN A MATTER OF MINUTES IN THESE CONDITIONS. HYPOTHERMIA OR EVEN DEATH IS POSSIBLE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE OR FOR THOSE NOT PROPERLY DRESSED FOR THE COLD.
* TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS THROUGH THIS MORNING DUE TO BLOWING SNOW AND DRIFTING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES. WHITE OUT CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.
BLOWING SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. USE CAUTION IF YOU ARE TRAVELING… ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS. SOME ROADS MAY BE IMPASSABLE DUE TO DRIFTING SNOW.