WINTER STORM WARNING
Issue Date: 624 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009
Expiration: 600 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND
PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN STARTING TONIGHT...
.A MAJOR STORM SYSTEM PRODUCING HEAVY SNOW...POTENTIALLY NEAR
RECORD IN SOME LOCATIONS...AND HAVING CONSIDERABLE IMPACTS ON
HOLIDAY GROUND AND AIR TRAVEL...HAS BEGUN OVER PARTS OF SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA. A BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WAS PUSHING INTO
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND A FEW LOCATIONS COULD PICK OF A QUICK 2 TO 4
INCHES OF SNOW THIS EVENING. THE SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AND PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATER TONIGHT.
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS BY THURSDAY MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO BE
BETWEEN THREE AND FIVE INCHES OVER SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...WITH SOMEWHAT LESSER AMOUNTS OVER WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.
THE SNOW WILL LAST THROUGH THURSDAY AND CHRISTMAS WITH
SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS FORECAST. THESE ACCUMULATIONS WILL
LIKELY BE IN EXCESS OF ONE FOOT...WITH 20 INCHES OR MORE IN SOME
LOCATIONS. THE SNOW MAY MIX WITH FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET AT TIMES
IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND ESPECIALLY WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. MINOR
ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL HAPPEN WHERE THIS OCCURS. A WINTER STORM
WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF MINNESOTA AND ALL OF WESTERN
WISCONSIN. WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA TONIGHT THROUGH CHRISTMAS NIGHT...AND WARNINGS WILL BE
IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATER
TONIGHT THROUGH CHRISTMAS NIGHT.
THE CENTER OF THE MAJOR STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE FROM THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS THIS EVENING...TO IOWA BY CHRISTMAS MORNING AND BECOME
NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH CHRISTMAS NIGHT. THIS IS A COMPLEX
SYSTEM...WITH EXPECTED PERIODIC BOUTS OF HEAVIER SNOW AT TIMES...
AND OCCASIONAL MIXES WITH SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN ACROSS SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. THERE WILL INEVITABLY BE PERIODS
OF LIGHTER PRECIPITATION...POTENTIALLY THURSDAY MORNING...BUT
NEARLY CONTINUOUS ACCUMULATING PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED FROM
ONSET THROUGH CHRISTMAS NIGHT. THIS 48 TO 60 HOURS OF SNOWFALL IN
MANY PLACES WILL LEAD TO THE EXTREME SNOWFALL TOTALS BY SATURDAY
MORNING...PARTICULARLY FROM SOUTHWEST THROUGH CENTRAL MINNESOTA.
WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE FROM THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 25 MPH
THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THESE WILL INCREASE AND TURN MORE
NORTHERLY AS THE CENTER OF THE SYSTEM APPROACHES. THE HEAVY WET
NATURE OF THE SNOWFALL IS LIKELY TO KEEP BLOWING SNOW RESTRICTED
TO ONLY THE OPEN RURAL AREAS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THIS EVENT.
BLOWING SNOW IS MOST PROBABLE IN WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL
MINNESOTA DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE EVENT...FROM THURSDAY
NIGHT THROUGH CHRISTMAS NIGHT.
AS THE STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TO DEVELOP...FORECAST SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS WILL BE FURTHER REFINED. AGAIN...TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS ARE
HIGHLY LIKELY TO EXCEED ONE FOOT OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA AND FAR WESTERN WISCONSIN...WITH SCATTERED AMOUNTS IN
EXCESS OF 20 INCHES PROBABLE. THIS EVENT MAY BECOME COMPARABLE TO
THE HALLOWEEN SNOW STORM OF 1991. GIVEN THE TIMING OF THIS
SYSTEM...HOLIDAY ROAD AND AIR TRAVEL WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY
IMPACTED.
MNZ049-051>053-055>063-066-068-069-WIZ014>016-023-240830-
/O.CON.KMPX.WS.W.0008.091224T0300Z-091226T1200Z/
STEARNS-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-
WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-MCLEOD-CARVER-SCOTT-POLK-
BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ST. CLOUD...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...
CENTER CITY...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...WILLMAR...LITCHFIELD...
MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS...BLAINE...ST. PAUL...STILLWATER...
HUTCHINSON...CHASKA...SHAKOPEE...AMERY...BALSAM LAKE...
RICE LAKE...BARRON...LADYSMITH...HUDSON...NEW RICHMOND
624 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING
TO 6 AM CST SATURDAY...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING
TO 6 AM CST SATURDAY.
* TIMING...SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP TONIGHT...WITH
  ACCUMULATING SNOW MOST LIKELY BY 9 PM. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE
  THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. SOME SLEET IS ALSO POSSIBLE FROM TONIGHT
  INTO THURSDAY AFTERNOON... MAINLY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND
  WESTERN WISCONSIN.
* ACCUMULATIONS...SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW WILL OCCUR WITH
  PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW LIKELY AS THE STORM INTENSIFIES THURSDAY
  AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY. SNOW AMOUNTS BY THURSDAY MORNING OF TWO
  TO FIVE INCHES ARE EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS BY
  SATURDAY MORNING WILL LIKELY EXCEED ONE FOOT IN MANY AREAS...
  WITH SCATTERED TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 20 INCHES PROBABLE. THIS
  EVENT MAY BECOME COMPARABLE TO THE HALLOWEEN SNOW STORM OF
  1991.
* SURFACE VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED AS THE EVENT CONTINUES DUE
  TO INCREASING WIND SPEEDS AND BLOWING SNOW...MAINLY IN OPEN
  RURAL AREAS.
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: 114 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009
Expiration: 115 PM CST THU DEC 24 2009

Expires:200912241915;;
FLUS43 KMPX 231910
HWOMPX
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
110 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009
MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
241915-
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-
KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-
YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-
WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-
ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE-
110 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
A POWERFUL WINTER STORM WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SNOW WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY
FROM SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH THIS EVENING. SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE
MAY PRECEDE THE SNOW ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.
SNOW AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN AND FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS THE MINNESOTA PORTION OF
THE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
THE WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH A LULL IN
THE PRECIPITATION INTENSITY THURSDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION
INTENSITY WILL RAMP UP THURSDAY AFTERNOON. MOST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA
WILL SEE SNOW BUT THERE IS A THREAT OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND
SLEET... MAINLY FROM FAR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INTO EASTERN PORTIONS
OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. SNOW WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO
FRIDAY MORNING. TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO EXCEED A FOOT ACROSS THE AREA
WITH SOME TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 20 INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF CENTRAL
MINNESOTA. MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL
PLANS.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS AND SNOWFALL OBSERVERS ARE URGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
$$