Blizzard Warning

Mahaska (Iowa)

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
401 AM CST SAT DEC 11 2010
...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP MUCH OF THE REGION IOWA TODAY
AND TONIGHT...
.LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS IOWA TODAY DRAG AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT
THROUGH THE STATE TODAY. THE RESULT WILL BE RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW
AND EXTREMELY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS DEVELOPING TODAY. THE
COMBINATION OF THE VERY STRONG WINDS AND SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW
WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DEVELOPING OVER THE
NORTHWEST THIS MORNING AND SPREADING INTO THE SOUTHEAST BY LATE AFTERNOON.
IAZ049-050-060>062-072>075-082>086-094>097-111815-
/O.UPG.KDMX.WW.Y.0014.101211T1500Z-101212T0600Z/
/O.EXB.KDMX.BZ.W.0002.101211T2100Z-101212T1500Z/
MARSHALL-TAMA-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-
UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MARSHALLTOWN...TOLEDO...DES MOINES...
NEWTON...GRINNELL...WINTERSET...INDIANOLA...KNOXVILLE...
OSKALOOSA...CRESTON...OSCEOLA...CHARITON...ALBIA...OTTUMWA...
LEON...CORYDON...CENTERVILLE...BLOOMFIELD
401 AM CST SAT DEC 11 2010
...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 AM
CST SUNDAY...
* SHORT TERM TRENDS...TEMPERATURES ARE CURRENTLY ABOVE FREEZING
HOWEVER THAT WILL CHANGE QUICKLY THIS MORNING AS A COLD FRONT
DROPS THROUGH THE AREA. RAIN CHANGING TO LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE
AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE AREA. EXPECT MORE
SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND INCREASING NORTHWEST WINDS BY LATE
AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS.
* STORM TOTAL SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS...5 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW
ARE POSSIBLE BY SUNDAY MORNING.
* WINDS/VISIBILITY...THE WIND WILL SWITCH FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 20
TO 30 MPH THIS AFTERNOON THEN WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY THIS
EVENING. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH A FEW GUSTS NEAR
60 MPH ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THIS WILL
CREATE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW. VISIBILITIES
WILL BE REDUCED TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES.
* IMPACTS...TRAVEL ACROSS THE REGION MAY AGAIN BECOME DIFFICULT
THIS MORNING AS SNOW DEVELOPS. TRAVEL WILL BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE
BY THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS OF 10
BELOW TO 20 BELOW ZERO CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT. STRANDED
MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT LEAVE THEIR VEHICLES IN THESE CONDITIONS.
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.