URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA

905 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012

…HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST IOWA BEGINNING OVERNIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY…

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK INTO THE MIDWEST TONIGHT. RAIN WILL MIX WITH AND EVENTUALLY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW OVERNIGHT AND INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. A MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY BAND OF SNOW WILL SET UP FROM CENTRAL TO WEST CENTRAL IA

CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…DENISON…CARROLL…JEFFERSON…BOONE…AMES…AUDUBON…GUTHRIE CENTER…ADEL…DES MOINES…ATLANTIC…GREENFIELD…WINTERSET…CORNING…CRESTON

905 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 AM CST SUNDAY…

* TIMING…A GRADUAL TRANSITION FROM RAIN TO SNOW WILL BEGIN LATE THIS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. MUCH OF THE WARNED AREA WILL SEE ALL SNOW BY SATURDAY MORNING. A NARROW BAND OF HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SET UP ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY. SNOW WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH SATURDAY EVENING.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW…SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE. HEAVIEST TOTALS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE WARNED AREA.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…NORTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH A FEW HIGHER GUSTS WILL CAUSE VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND DRIFTING OF SNOW ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.

* IMPACTS…HEAVY SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. THE FALLING SNOW…COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS…WILL LEAD TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES. ROADS WILL LIKELY BECOME SLIPPERY AS THE WET SNOW FREEZES TO THE PAVEMENT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT…FOOD…AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE YOU BECOME STRANDED.