FXUS63 KGID 261812
AFDGID

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1212 PM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

.UPDATE...CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS ON TRACK. SNOW HAS ENDED OR IS
COMING TO AN END ACROSS THE REGION. ANY ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL WILL
BE LIGHT WITH LITTLE IF ANY ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION.

.AVIATION...18Z KGRI TAF. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
THE FORECAST PERIOD...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY DECREASE
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. THERE COULD STILL BE A
FEW LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON BUT EXPECT LITTLE TO
NO ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION. BLOWING SNOW COULD STILL BE A PROBLEM
AT TIMES TODAY BUT THIS SHOULD ALSO DECREASE BY THIS EVENING AS
WINDS DECREASE.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 333 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009/ 

DISCUSSION...INCREDIBLE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FINALLY SHOWING SIGNS
OF LETTING UP. THE CWFA HAS SEEN YET ANOTHER ROUND OF ACCUMULATING
SNOW...THIS TIME FROM AN OLD VORT/LOW CENTER WHICH JUST PASSED BY
RIGHT OVER THE CWFA. IN THE PAST 28 HOURS...THIS CIRCULATION CENTER
STARTED IN THE ARKANSAS/LOUISIANA AREA...WENT THROUGH ILLINOIS...
MINNESOTA...AND WRAPPED BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST ACROSS OUR CWFA.
RADAR TRENDS INDICATE MUCH LESS RETURN OVER THE WESTERN
CWFA...WITH SLIGHTLY DECREASING RETURNS OVER THE EASTERN CWFA.

WE HAVE FINALLY TAKEN THE 50 MPH WINDS OUT OF THE EQUATION...AND
MOST AREAS ARE ONLY GUSTING TO 40 TO 45 MPH. THAT IS SOME GOOD 
NEWS...AND THE TREND OF WIND SPEEDS SLOWLY INCHING THEIR WAY DOWN
TODAY IS STILL ON TRACK...ALTHOUGH BLOWING/DRIFTING WILL BE A BIG
PROBLEM ALL DAY. AT LEAST...VISIBILITIES WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE
AND SOME DIGGING OUT CAN GET UNDERWAY. EXPECT WINDS BY EVENING TO
BE BELOW 20 MPH...ALTHOUGH THEY WILL LIKELY HOLD IN THE 15 TO 20
MPH RANGE TONIGHT/SUNDAY.

REGARDING ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL...ONE MORE REALLY DISTINCT WAVE OF
LIFT WILL ARC BACK INTO THE CWFA...ESPECIALLY BY MID MORNING. 
THAT COULD DROP UP TO AN INCH OR SO OF ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS...
FAVORING THE EAST/NORTHEAST CWFA. OTHERWISE...PERIODS OF LIGHT
SNOW AND FLURRIES WILL CONTINUE ALL DAY...AND TO SOME DEGREE
TONIGHT. A FEW FLURRIES MAY LINGER SUNDAY MORNING IN THE EASTERN
ZONES...BUT AGAIN OVERALL ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION WILL BE LIMITED. 

EXPANDED THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE DAY ACROSS KANSAS
WITH A LOT MORE SNOWFALL THERE THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED...AND
BLOWING AND DRIFTING PROBLEMATIC THERE. BLIZZARD WARNING WILL GO
UNTIL EXPIRING AT 6 AM...AT WHICH TIME WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
TAKES OVER FOR LIGHT SNOW/BLOWING SNOW THE REST OF THE DAY.

CLIMATE...LOOKING BACK...TWO BLIZZARDS IN THE LAST 15 YEARS COME
TO MIND WHEN COMPARING TO THIS EVENT. HARD TO SAY WHICH EVENTS WERE
WORSE...AS THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN IMPACTS AND WAY OF DOING
THINGS. 

NOVEMBER 27-29 2005 - MASSIVE WINTER STORM WHICH PUMMELED THE
SANDHILLS FINALLY WORKED INTO SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PRODUCED
DRIFTS OVER 10 FT HIGH AND WINDS OVER 60 MPH AT GRAND ISLAND.
THE AREA ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM GREELEY TO PHILLIPSBURG
WAS PARTICULARLY HARD HIT WITH INTERSTATE CLOSED FOR A COUPLE OF
DAYS. 

JANUARY 17 1996 - THIS WAS THE EVENT DURING WHICH THE AREA HAD
RECEIVED RAIN ALL DAY...AND TEMPERATURES PLUMMETED BEHIND AN
ARCTIC COLD FRONT AND FROZE EVERYTHING. HUNDREDS OF CARS WERE
STRANDED ON THE INTERSTATE AND HIGHWAY 30. DRIFTS OVER 10FT. THE
GRAND ISLAND AIRPORT REPORTED 21 HOURS OF BASICALLY QUARTER MILE
VISIBILITY AND SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. SNOW WAS MUCH LESS
WITH THAT EVENT...BUT WIND GUSTS AGAIN EXCEEDED 60 MPH. FOR
COMPARISON...AT THIS POINT GRAND ISLAND IS ALMOST AT 24 HOURS
WITH VISIBILITIES OF 3/4 MILE OR LESS...AND HASTINGS IS AT 18
HOURS OF 1/2 MILE OR LESS VISIBILITIES.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR 
     NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.

KS...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR 
     KSZ005>007-017>019.

&&

$$

UPDATE...WESELY