FXUS63 KGID 251120
AFDGID

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
520 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009

.AVIATION...12Z TAF. FALLING SNOW HAS MOVED BACK INTO THE KGRI
TERMINAL AREA AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE
WINDS ARE ALSO VERY STRONG AND IS CAUSING AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW.
VISIBILITIES WILL BE SEVERELY REDUCED FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD.
EXPECT THAT THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE DURING THE LATE MORNING INTO
THE EVENING HOURS...BUT SNOW AND WINDS CAUSING BLOWING SNOW WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. VISIBILITIES MAY REMAIN AT OR BELOW A
MILE EVEN THROUGH THE NIGHT. 

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 355 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009/ 

DISCUSSION...THE MAIN ISSUE WILL BE HEADLINES ASSOCIATED WITH THE 
ONGOING WINTER STORM.  EARLY MORNING WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS TWO 
MAIN AREAS OF ENERGY THIS MORNING...ONE NEAR SOUTHERN MISSOURI...AND 
ANOTHER MOVING SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA.  AT THE SURFACE...AN 
INTENSE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI...AND 
THIS WAS CAUSING STRONG WINDS ACROSS JUST ABOUT THE ENTIRE FORECAST 
AREA THIS MORNING.  THE LATEST KUEX WSR-88D IMAGES SHOWED THE 
MAJORITY OF THE SNOW WAS LOCATED ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE 
CWA...WHERE THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND SNOW WAS CREATING BLIZZARD 
CONDITIONS.  

THE PIECE OF ENERGY SPINNING THROUGH WESTERN NEBRASKA WILL 
EVENTUALLY TAKE A MORE EASTERLY TRACK LATER TODAY...AND MOVE ACROSS 
NORTHERN KANSAS.  THE TWO PIECES SHOULD EVENTUALLY PHASE TOGETHER 
WHILE THE SURFACE LOW MOVES INTO IOWA AND WOBBLES AROUND BEFORE 
SHIFTING EAST SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY.  THIS WILL BRING MORE SNOW 
TO THE FORECAST AREA TODAY...WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS 
THE NORTH AND EAST PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA.  THE SOUTHWEST PART 
OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL PROBABLY NOT GET TOO MUCH SNOW 
TODAY...HOWEVER THE ONE ISSUE THAT WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA 
WILL BE THE WIND.  THE WIND WILL REMAIN STRONG...AND THAT SHOULD 
CONTINUE TO CREATE POOR VISIBILITIES DUE TO BLOWING SNOW.  AFTER 
SOME DEBATE AND COORDINATION WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES...DECIDED
TO EXPAND THE BLIZZARD WARNING SEVERAL MORE COUNTIES TO THE SOUTH
AND WEST. FEEL THE MOST CONFIDENT ABOUT VALLEY...GREELEY...SHERMAN...
HOWARD AND HALL COUNTIES BEING PUT INTO THE BLIZZARD WARNING SINCE
THEY COULD GET ROUGHLY 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW TODAY. AM A BIT LESS
CONFIDENT ABOUT ADAMS...BUFFALO...DAWSON...AND CLAY COUNTIES...BUT
AM STILL CONCERNED THAT VERY STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH A
COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW TO CREATE NEAR ZERO
VISIBILITIES...ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS. IN FACT...ITS POSSIBLE
THAT JUST ABOUT ANY FALLING SNOW COMBINED WITH THE WIND MAY CREATE
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES.

THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT...THOUGH IT MAY LET UP A BIT AS 
THE BETTER/STRONGER LIFT SHIFTS EAST OF THE CWA.  THE WIND ON THE 
OTHER HAND WILL REMAIN STRONG...SO WILL LET THE HEADLINES REMAIN
IN PLACE FOR TONIGHT. THE SNOW SHOULD DIMINISH EVEN MORE ON
SATURDAY...AND THE WINDS DO NOT LOOK QUITE AS STRONG EITHER SO DID
NOT EXTEND ANY OF THE HEADLINES. THERE IS SOME CHANCE ADVISORIES
FOR LINGERING BLOWING SNOW MAY BE NEEDED IN PLACE OF THE WARNINGS
AS THE SYSTEM DEPARTS...BUT WOULD RATHER HANDLE THAT LATER AND NOT
CONFUSE THE ISSUE WITH TOO MANY HEADLINES AT ONCE.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR NEZ039>041-046>049-
     062>064-076-077-087.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR NEZ072>074-
     082>086.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR 
     NEZ060-061-075.

     BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR NEZ060-061-075.

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

&&

$$