Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Update on winter storm warning for Joplin area

(From the National Weather Service)


WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THURSDAY...
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR A MIX OF SNOW... SLEET... AND FREEZING RAIN REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THURSDAY.
* SHORT TERM TRENDS... AN AREA OF MOSTLY LIGHT SNOW... POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SLEET WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO FAR SOUTHWEST MISSOURI BETWEEN 830 PM AND 900 PM... THE SPREAD NORTHEAST TO THE GIRARD KANSAS... JOPLIN... OZARK... AND GAINESVILLE AREAS BETWEEN 11 PM AND MIDNIGHT. A HALF INCH TO AN INCH OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL BE POSSIBLE BY MIDNIGHT FROM THE ANDERSON AREA EAST TO BRANSON. PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH A GRADUAL TRANSITION TO FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED TO OCCUR OVER FAR SOUTHWEST MISSOURI AFTER 3 AM.
* TIMING AND AREAS AFFECTED... A MIX OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT AND FOR MUCH OF THURSDAY ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI AND EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS BEFORE ENDING FROM THE WEST. THE HEAVIEST OVERALL PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR FROM 6 AM TO NOON.
* SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION... TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM ONE TO FOUR INCHES... WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR IN CENTRAL MISSOURI. POCKETS OF HEAVY SLEET WILL OCCUR WITHIN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS.
* ICE ACCUMULATION... A TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATION OF A THIN GLAZE TO ONE TENTH OF AN INCH ARE EXPECTED OVER AREAS NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR... WITH ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH OF ICE EXPECTED ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR.
* WINDS AND VISIBILITY... EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH WILL OCCUR LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.
* IMPACTS... TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE ACROSS THE MISSOURI OZARKS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING. TRAVEL COULD BECOME TREACHEROUS DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE ON THURSDAY.
FREEZING RAIN WILL ACCUMULATE ON ELEVATED OBJECTS INCLUDING TREES AND POWER LINES. DAMAGE TO SOME TREES AND POWER LINES MAY OCCUR ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR... WHICH WOULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES AND DEBRIS IN ROADWAYS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF MIXED WINTER PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. CONSIDER TAKING A WINTER STORM KIT ALONG WITH YOU. THIS KIT SHOULD INCLUDE SUCH ITEMS AS TIRE CHAINS... BOOSTER CABLES... A FLASHLIGHT... SHOVEL... BLANKETS... EXTRA CLOTHING AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD HELP YOU SURVIVE IN CASE YOU BECOME STRANDED.

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