Winter storm warning issued for Joplin area, five to seven inches of snow expected

(From the National Weather Service)

...SIGNIFICANT SNOW INCREASINGLY LIKELY THIS EVENING INTO
MONDAY...

.ONE OR MORE BANDS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED TO FORM ACROSS CENTRAL
MISSOURI AND SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SNOW
EXPANDING AND FILLING IN ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION AFTER DARK
TONIGHT. WITHIN THIS AREA OF MODERATE SNOW...SEVERAL ADDITIONAL
BANDS OF HEAVY SNOW ARE EXPECTED TO FORM. WHILE IT IS STILL NOT
ENTIRELY CLEAR WHERE THESE BANDS WILL SET UP...THEY WILL BE MOST
LIKELY TO OCCUR ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI. SNOWFALL RATES IN EXCESS
OF 2 INCHES PER HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITHIN THESE BANDS OF SNOW.
SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING...BEFORE
ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON
HOURS ON MONDAY.

GIVEN THE EXPECTED BANDS OF HEAVIER SNOW...ACCUMULATIONS WILL
VARY CONSIDERABLY ACROSS THE AREA. IN GENERAL...A WIDESPREAD 5 TO
7 INCHES OF SNOW APPEARS POSSIBLE...WITH ACCUMULATIONS PERHAPS
APPROACHING 10 INCHES WHERE THE HEAVIEST BANDS OF SNOW SET UP.
DEPENDING ON THE EXACT TIMING...MOVEMENT...AND STRENGTH OF THE
HEAVIEST BANDS OF SNOW...SOME LOCALIZED AMOUNTS APPROACHING 12
INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER FAR SOUTHERN MISSOURI.

THE EXPECTED START TIME TO SNOW AND ACCUMULATIONS WILL CONTINUE
TO BE FINE TUNED THROUGH THE DAY TODAY INTO TONIGHT. ALL
INTERESTED PARTIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO REMAIN ALERT FOR FORECAST
UPDATES.

KSZ097-101-MOZ070-071-077-079>083-088>098-101>106-152100-
/O.UPG.KSGF.WW.Y.0005.150215T1500Z-150216T1200Z/
/O.NEW.KSGF.WS.W.0001.150216T0000Z-150216T2100Z/
CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-POLK-DALLAS-LACLEDE-TEXAS-
DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON-LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-
DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE-TANEY-OZARK-OREGON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PITTSBURG...BAXTER SPRINGS...COLUMBUS...
FORT LEONARD WOOD...WAYNESVILLE...ROLLA...LAMAR...BOLIVAR...
BUFFALO...LEBANON...HOUSTON...CABOOL...SALEM...JOPLIN...
CARTHAGE...GREENFIELD...SPRINGFIELD...MARSHFIELD...ROGERSVILLE...
MOUNTAIN GROVE...MANSFIELD...NEOSHO...AURORA...MOUNT VERNON...
NIXA...OZARK...AVA...WEST PLAINS...WINONA...EMINENCE...ANDERSON...
PINEVILLE...MONETT...CASSVILLE...KIMBERLING CITY...GALENA...
BRANSON...FORSYTH...GAINESVILLE...THEODOSIA...THAYER...ALTON
339 AM CST SUN FEB 15 2015

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM
CST MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS
EVENING TO 3 PM CST MONDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO
LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TIMING AND AREAS AFFECTED...SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHERN
  MISSOURI SOUTH OF A FORT SCOTT TO VICHY LINE FROM THIS EVENING
  THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...A WIDESPREAD FIVE TO SEVEN INCHES OF SNOW
  WILL BE POSSIBLE...THOUGH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS BETWEEN TEN AND
  TWELVE INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN MISSOURI.
  SEVERAL SMALL SCALE BANDS OF HEAVY SNOW ARE EXPECTED...
  RESULTING IN CONSIDERABLE VARIABILITY IN STORM TOTAL SNOW
  ACCUMULATIONS.

* WINDS AND VISIBILITY...VISIBILITY BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE CAN BE
  EXPECTED WITHIN AREAS OF HEAVY SNOW.

* IMPACTS...MODERATE TO AT TIMES HEAVY SNOW IS LIKELY TO CAUSE
  SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL IMPACTS ACROSS THE REGION FROM THIS EVENING
  THROUGH MONDAY AS ROADS BECOME SNOW COVERED AND HAZARDOUS. HEAVY
  SNOWFALL RATES IN LOCALIZED BANDS OF SNOW WILL MAKE IT VERY
  DIFFICULT TO KEEP ROADWAYS CLEAR AT TIMES.

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...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.