246 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012 Natl. Weather Service/Des Moines

…BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY…

* SHORT TERM TRENDS...MODERATE TO AT TIMES HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION THOUGH EARLY MORNING. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL BE COMMON THROUGH THE AREA WITH ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES THROUGH 6 AM CST THIS MORNING. THE WIND WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 MPH WITH BLOWING SNOW BECOMING MORE PREVALENT. OVER THE FAR SOUTH THE PRECIPITATION WILL LINGER AS RAIN FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION…8 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW ARE FORECAST BY MORNING..WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS LIKELY. SNOW DRIFTS SEVERAL FEET DEEP WILL OCCUR GIVEN THE STRONG WINDS.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY...NORTHWEST WINDS ARE BECOMING VERY STRONG AND THEY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 50 MPH ARE LIKELY. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP BY 4 AM WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW LEADING TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS FOR MUCH OF THE MORNING AND INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS…LIFE-THREATENING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE DEVELOPING AND WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING. TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT…IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ADVISES NO TRAVEL! POWER OUTAGES MAY BECOME MORE PREVALENT BY MORNING AS HEAVY SNOW IS WEIGHING DOWN TREES AND STRONG WINDS BY MORNING AND AFTERNOON MAY FELL TREES ON POWER LINES…RESULTING IN POWER OUTAGES.

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.