Winter storm watch issued for Joplin area, significant freezing rain, sleet possible

(From the National Weather Service)

POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM TO IMPACT THE REGION THIS
WEEKEND...

.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING WINTRY WEATHER TO THE REGION
FROM SATURDAY EVENING INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF SLEET
AND FREEZING RAIN MAY BE SIGNIFICANT WITH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ON
TOP OF THE ICE. THE ENTIRE AREA IS EXPECTED TO SEE A MIX OF
FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW AT SOME POINT. AT THIS TIME...THE
HIGHEST ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN
MISSOURI...GENERALLY SOUTH OF U.S. 60...WITH THE HIGHEST SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 54. THE HIGHEST SLEET
ACCUMULATIONS WILL OCCUR GENERALLY ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE
INTERSTATE 44 CORRIDOR.

UNCERTAINTY REMAINS ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM AND THE
CORRESPONDING PRECIPITATION TYPE AND ACCUMULATIONS.

BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL IMPACT THE REGION EARLY NEXT
WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL BE 20 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL WITH
HIGHS IN THE TEENS AND 20S...AND LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. WIND
CHILLS AROUND 10 BELOW WILL BE POSSIBLE BOTH SUNDAY AND MONDAY
NIGHTS.

INTERESTS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS AND THE MISSOURI OZARKS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO REMAIN WEATHER AWARE THROUGH THE WEEKEND...AND
CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR THE LATEST FORECAST INFORMATION.

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-010000-
/O.CON.KSGF.WS.A.0003.140302T0000Z-140303T1200Z/
BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON-
ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-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...FORT SCOTT...PITTSBURG...
BAXTER SPRINGS...COLUMBUS...WARSAW...COLE CAMP...VERSAILLES...
ELDON...LAKE OZARK...VIENNA...NEVADA...APPLETON CITY...OSCEOLA...
HERMITAGE...OSAGE BEACH...CAMDENTON...FORT LEONARD WOOD...
WAYNESVILLE...ROLLA...LAMAR...EL DORADO SPRINGS...STOCKTON...
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
319 AM CST FRI FEB 28 2014

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING
THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...

A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING
THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING AND AREAS AFFECTED...EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS AND THE
  MISSOURI OZARKS SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT.

* SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF MORE THAN
  SIX INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF U.S. 54...WITH
  SNOW FALLING SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. SNOW AMOUNTS
  WILL THEN DECREASE FURTHER SOUTH TOWARD I-44...WHERE A FEW
  INCHES OF ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED...MAINLY SUNDAY NIGHT.

  SLEET ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE HEAVIEST ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE
  I-44 CORRIDOR...WHERE PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS ARE FOR ONE TO TWO
  INCHES OF SLEET TO FALL SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS...FREEZING RAIN WITH SOME ICE ACCUMULATION IS
  EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA STARTING SATURDAY NIGHT. POTENTIALLY
  SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN
  MISSOURI GENERALLY SOUTH OF U.S. 60.

* WINDS AND VISIBILITY...NORTHEASTERLY WINDS COULD GUST BETWEEN 20
  AND 30 MPH AT TIMES. SOME BLOWING SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
  CENTRAL MISSOURI SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...AND ACROSS THE
  ENTIRE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT.

* IMPACTS...SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS TRAVEL
  CONDITIONS. FREEZING RAIN WILL ACCUMULATE ON TREES AND POWER
  LINES WITH SOME POWER OUTAGES POSSIBLE MAINLY ACROSS FAR
  SOUTHERN MISSOURI.

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.