URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA

105 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013

…A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM TO IMPACT CENTRAL IOWA THIS

AFTERNOON…

.A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO ENTER THE SOUTHERN

PLAINS AND WILL PUSH INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY EARLY

FRIDAY MORNING. A LARGE SWATH OF SNOW HAS DEVELOPED OVER NORTHERN

MISSOURI AND FAR SOUTHERN IOWA AND WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTH

ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA THIS AFTERNOON AND NORTHERN IOWA BY THIS

EVENING. CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE WITH THE INITIAL

SNOWFALL DUE TO STRONG EAST WINDS GUSTING FROM 25 TO 35 MPH.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-035>039-049-050-220315-

/O.CON.KDMX.WS.W.0003.130222T0000Z-130222T1800Z/

EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO-

POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-WEBSTER-

HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-MARSHALL-TAMA-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…ESTHERVILLE…ALGONA…FOREST CITY…

NORTHWOOD…EMMETSBURG…GARNER…MASON CITY…POCAHONTAS…

HUMBOLDT…CLARION…HAMPTON…ALLISON…WAVERLY…FORT DODGE…

WEBSTER CITY…ELDORA…GRUNDY CENTER…WATERLOO…MARSHALLTOWN…

TOLEDO

105 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING

TO NOON CST FRIDAY…

* TIMING…SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER NORTHERN IOWA LATE THIS

AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL

WILL DEVELOP QUICKLY AFTER ONSET AND LAST FOR ROUGHLY FIVE TO

SIX HOURS BEFORE LESSENING IN INTENSITY OVERNIGHT.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE

FROM 5 TO 8 INCHES.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…EASTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH

WITH HIGHER GUSTS NEAR 35 MPH AT TIMES LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND

THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER

HOUR COMBINED WITH THE PERIOD OF STRONGEST WINDS WILL REDUCE

VISIBILITY TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

* IMPACTS…CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY AS THE SNOW

MOVES IN TOWARD EVENING. AT THE ONSET…VISIBILITY OF LESS

THAN ONE QUARTER MILE AT TIMES CAN BE EXPECTED. TRAVEL WILL

BECOME HAZARDOUS DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY AND THE ROADS RAPIDLY

BECOMING ICY AND SNOW PACKED.

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.