WINTER STORM WARNING
Issue Date: 411 AM CST THU DEC 24 2009
Expiration: 1200 PM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

...POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM TO AFFECT THE REGION INTO THE CHRISTMAS
WEEKEND...
.A LARGE STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE MID SECTION OF THE NATION
THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY. LOW PRESSURE OVER NORTHEAST TEXAS WILL MOVE
NORTHEAST INTO MISSOURI BY THIS EVENING AND THEN INTO IOWA ON
FRIDAY...WHERE IT WILL STALL BEFORE HEADING EAST BY LATE SATURDAY.
MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO SURGE NORTHWARD FROM THE WESTERN GULF
AND INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST TODAY CAUSING PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW.
THERE MAY BE TIMES TODAY INTO THIS EVENING WHEN SNOW STOPS...BUT
IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THIS DOES NOT MEAN THE STORM SYSTEM
IS OVER. A SECOND AND MUCH STRONGER WAVE OF MOISTURE WILL MOVE
INTO EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY AS THE LOW MOVES INTO IOWA. THE SNOW ON
CHRISTMAS DAY WILL BE HEAVY AND BLOWING SNOW WILL BECOME A PROBLEM
ESPECIALLY WEST OF THE RED RIVER WHERE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS MAY
OCCUR. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE
SLOWLY TAPERING OFF ON SATURDAY.
TOTAL STORM ACCUMULATIONS FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY OF
10 TO 20 INCHES STILL LOOK LIKELY...WITH THE LOWER TOTALS ALONG
THE CANADIAN BORDER AND THE HIGHEST TOTALS OVER FAR SOUTHEAST
NORTH DAKOTA INTO MINNESOTA LAKES COUNTRY.
TRAVEL TODAY...CHRISTMAS EVE...WILL BE HAZARDOUS BUT NOT
IMPOSSIBLE. ON CHRISTMAS DAY TRAVEL MAY BECOME IMPOSSIBLE DUE
HEAVY SNOW AND WIND. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
FORECASTS IN CASE CONDITIONS CHANGE.
MNZ029-NDZ006-014-015-024-026-028-038-049-052-053-261800-
/O.EXT.KFGF.WS.W.0011.000000T0000Z-091226T1800Z/
WILKIN-TOWNER-BENSON-RAMSEY-EDDY-NELSON-GRIGGS-BARNES-RANSOM-
SARGENT-RICHLAND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BRECKENRIDGE...CANDO...MADDOCK...
LEEDS...DEVILS LAKE...NEW ROCKFORD...LAKOTA...COOPERSTOWN...
VALLEY CITY...LISBON...GWINNER...WAHPETON
411 AM CST THU DEC 24 2009
...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY...
THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IS NOW IN
EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY.
* PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL FALL TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW HEAVY AT
TIMES ALONG WITH CONSIDERABLE BLOWING SNOW WILL OCCUR CHRISTMAS
DAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
* TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY OF
12 TO 18 INCHES ARE LIKELY WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE CLOSER
TO THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER.
* WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHWEST AND INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH TONIGHT
AND CHRISTMAS DAY CAUSING NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN BLOWING
AND DRIFTING SNOW. STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH HEAVY SNOW MAY
CREATE SNOW DRIFTS THAT MAY CAUSE SOME ROADS TO BECOME
IMPASSABLE.
* ANYONE WITH TRAVEL PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY
SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS FOR UPDATES.
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 OF AN EMERGENCY.
$$

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
Issue Date: 240 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009
Expiration: 245 PM CST THU DEC 24 2009

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
SNOW WILL SPREAD NORTHWARD INTO EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA TONIGHT. NEW SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BY THURSDAY
MORNING WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY...THEN LOOK FOR INCREASING
NORTH WINDS AND HEAVIER SNOWFALL STARTING LATER THURSDAY NIGHT
INTO CHRISTMAS DAY THAT MAY CREATE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.
STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH HEAVY SNOW MAY CREATE SNOW DRIFTS THAT
MAY CAUSE SOME ROADS TO BECOME IMPASSABLE. THE SNOW WILL
GRADUALLY TAPER OFF LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. TOTAL SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS OF 12 TO 18 INCHES WILL OCCUR WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS
ALONG THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER. LOW PRESSURE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS
LONG DURATION SNOW EVENT WILL MOVE INTO EASTERN KANSAS TODAY AND
THEN MOVE INTO IOWA BY LATE THURSDAY BEFORE STALLING OUT OVER IOWA
ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SNOWFALL REPORTS ARE NEEDED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
PLEASE CALL THEM IN.
$$

WINTER STORM WATCH
Issue Date: 357 AM CST TUE DEC 22 2009
Expiration: 200 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

...LARGE SNOWSTORM TO IMPACT THE UPPER MIDWEST AND NORTHERN PLAINS
WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
.A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ON
WEDNESDAY AND MOVE NORTHEAST TO EASTERN KANSAS ON THURSDAY AND
THEN SLOWLY MOVE INTO WESTERN IOWA ON FRIDAY. THE LOW WILL THEN
TRACK TOWARD SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA BY LATE FRIDAY AND INTO NORTHERN
WISCONSIN ON SATURDAY.  A LARGE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE WILL GET DRAWN
NORTHWARD INTO THIS SYSTEM AND SPREAD OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND
THURSDAY AND CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY. SNOW WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD
OVER NEBRASKA AND SOUTH DAKOTA WEDNESDAY AND THEN SPREAD INTO
NORTH DAKOTA AND PARTS OF WESTERN MINNESOTA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND
THEN OVER THE ENTIRE AREA THURSDAY. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY
BEFORE ENDING FRIDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY. A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SNOW
WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TOTALS TO MOST AREAS WITH 6 TO 12
INCHES POSSIBLE IN MANY AREAS OVER THE TWO DAY PERIOD. THE HIGHER
SNOW TOTALS WILL OCCUR ALONG THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER INTO CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN MINESOTA WITH THE LEAST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ALONG THE
CANADIAN BORDER. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE ON FRIDAY TO 15 TO
30 MPH AND THIS MAY RESULT IN POOR VISIBILITY.
TRAVEL FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY WILL LIKELY BE
HAZARDOUS AND ANYONE WITH TRAVEL PLANS SHOULD STAY TUNED FOR
FORECAST UPDATES AS THE TRACK OF THE STORM AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS
CAN CHANGE.
MNZ003-029>031-040-NDZ006-014-015-024-026-028-029-038-039-049-052-
053-251000-
/O.NEW.KFGF.WS.A.0011.091224T0000Z-091226T0800Z/
CLAY-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-GRANT-TOWNER-BENSON-
RAMSEY-EDDY-NELSON-GRIGGS-STEELE-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOORHEAD...BRECKENRIDGE...
FERGUS FALLS...NEW YORK MILLS...ELBOW LAKE...CANDO...MADDOCK...
LEEDS...DEVILS LAKE...NEW ROCKFORD...LAKOTA...COOPERSTOWN...
FINLEY...VALLEY CITY...FARGO...LISBON...GWINNER...WAHPETON
357 AM CST TUE DEC 22 2009
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.
* SNOW WILL DEVELOP WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH
FRIDAY
* SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES COULD OCCUR WITH THIS SYSTEM
WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ALONG THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER.
* WINDS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY WILL NOT BE A SIGNIFICANT
FACTOR...BUT THEN TURN NORTHWEST AND INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH
THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY CAUSING REDUCED VISIBILITY.
* ANYONE WITH TRAVEL PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY
SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS FOR UPDATES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
$$