The latest…

…with apologies to Matt’s nephew, Jake, because you’re birthday present is going to be so so late. Old Man Winter’s being a real jerk this week.

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
210 AM CST THU MAR 1 2007

…LIGHT WINTRY PRECIPITATION THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT WITH THE MAIN STORM STILL TO HIT THE AREA LATER TODAY AND FRIDAY…

.A DANGEROUS WINTER STORM IS STILL SLATED TO MOVE INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY LATER THIS MORNING…WITH SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA.

VERY STRONG LOW PRESSURE WILL SURGE NORTH OUT OF NORTHERN MISSOURI THIS MORNING BRINGING A TREMENDOUS INFLUX OF MOISTURE INTO THE AREA BY MID MORNING. A LARGE AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION WILL ACCOMPANY THE LOW PRESSURE AS IT MOVES INTO IOWA DURING THE DAY…AND THIS PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. DO TO THE VERY DYNAMIC NATURE OF THE SYSTEM…THUNDER MAY BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA AS THE PRECIPITATION MOVES THROUGH.

FOR AREAS FROM CHARLES CITY AND OSAGE THROUGH DODGE CENTER…ROCHESTER…LAKE CITY AND MEDFORD…THESE AREAS WILL SEE THE BRUNT OF THE STORM IN THE LOCAL AREA. HEAVY PRECIPITATION…LIKELY TO BE SNOW MIXED WITH SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN…WILL CHANGE TO ALL SNOW BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. HEAVY SNOW IS LIKELY FOR A TIME THURSDAY NIGHT…WITH INCREASING NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH. NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS MAY OCCUR IN OPEN AREAS. SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING IS A POSSIBILITY…WITH SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS RANGING FROM 8 TO 12 INCHES…WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS APPROACHING 15 INCHES THROUGH FRIDAY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY EXCEED A QUARTER OF AN INCH.

TRAVEL WILL BE DANGEROUS IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE IN THIS AREA BY THURSDAY NIGHT. SOME LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY ALSO OCCUR. POWER OUTAGES FROM ICE- LADEN TREE LIMBS FROM THE PREVIOUS STORM…MAY ALSO OCCUR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THIS AREA IN PARTICULAR. A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA.

IAZ008-009-018-019-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034-041>044-011615-MITCHELL-HOWARD-FLOYD-CHICKASAW-WABASHA-DODGE-OLMSTED-WINONA-MOWER-FILLMORE-HOUSTON-TAYLOR-CLARK-BUFFALO-TREMPEALEAU-JACKSON-LA CROSSE-MONROE-JUNEAU-ADAMS-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…CHARLES CITY…ROCHESTER…WINONA…AUSTIN…MEDFORD…NEILLSVILLE…BLACK RIVER FALLS…LA CROSSE…SPARTA/TOMAH…MAUSTON

210 AM CST THU MAR 1 2007

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FRIDAY…

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FRIDAY. AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL REMAIN LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH. TRAVEL OVERNIGHT WILL BE DANGEROUS DUE TO THE WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION…AND AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW.

A LARGER AREA OF PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA LATER THIS MORNING. A MIX OF RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW WILL GRADUALLY CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE SNOW WILL THEN CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS FROM A QUARTER TO A HALF INCH ARE POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS BY FRIDAY EVENING RANGING FROM 5 TO 12 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS PARTICULARLY WEST OF A CHARLES CITY TO ROCHESTER TO MEDFORD LINE.

IN ADDITION… WINDS WILL INCREASE ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND GUST TO 30 MPH. THIS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES WITH CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW FOR THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. IN AREAS RECEIVING ICE THESE WINDS MAY BRING TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES DOWN…WITH A THREAT OF WIDESPREAD POWER LOSS. THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR AREAS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA…WHERE HEAVY ICING ALREADY OCCURRED THIS PAST WEEKEND. DANGEROUS TRAVEL IS EXPECTED.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW…SLEET…AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.