Monday, January 25, 2010

Well, That's Interesting: Blizzard Warning

Happily, I don't need to go anywhere for the next 18 hours or so.

Looks like there's a blizzard coming:
Message:NOAA-NWS-ALERTS-MN20100125194200MPXBlizzardWarningMPX20100126060000MN from w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov
Sent:13:42 CST on 01-25-2010
Effective:13:42 CST on 01-25-2010
Expires:00:00 CST on 01-26-2010
Event:Blizzard Warning
Alert:...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO THIS EVENING...

.A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL
AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THE WARNING IS
MAINLY WEST OF A LINE FROM ALEXANDRIA...TO LITCHFIELD...TO
OWATONNA. AN INTENSE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO
CANADA WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTHEAST OVER CANADA. NORTHWEST
WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS NEAR 50 MPH WILL ACCOMPANY
THE SOME LIGHT SNOWFALL ALONG WITH SOME LOOSEN FALLEN SNOW TO
PRODUCE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. VISIBILITIES WERE RESTRICTED TO LESS
THAN FEW HUNDRED FEET IN RURAL AND OPEN COUNTRY IN WESTERN AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. SEVERAL ROADS IN WESTERN MINNESOTA WERE EITHER
CLOSED OR TRAVEL WAS NOT RECOMMENDED...UNLESS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY.

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST
TONIGHT...

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.

* TIMING...VERY STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH... WITH
OCCASIONAL GUSTS OF 60 MPH WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY TONIGHT.

* MAIN IMPACT...BLOWING SNOW LIMITING VISIBILITIES TO UNDER ONE
QUARTER MILE.

* OTHER IMPACTS...DRIVING WILL BE DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR
HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SUCH AS PANEL TRUCKS AND SEMIS.
Instructions:A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.
Target Area:Douglas
Stevens
Pope
Lac Qui Parle
Swift
Chippewa
Kandiyohi
Meeker
Yellow Medicine
Renville
McLeod
Sibley
Redwood
Brown
Nicollet
Le Sueur
Watonwan
Blue Earth
Waseca
Steele
Martin
Faribault
Freeborn
(Current NWS Alert: | Blizzard Warning, National Weather Service)

If you live in my part of the world, central Minnesota, I'd like to offer a few suggestions. No pressure, and all this is strictly up to you.
  • If you really need to: take care
    • I'd like you to be around tomorrow
  • If your outing can be postponed
    • Do so
    • Or, take care
I've mentioned this before: All to often, in this part of the world, people drive out into a storm. Then, when the weather clears, someone has to go out and and recover their body, and the vehicle. There was a time when I saw the body wagon go out on a stretch of road by the airport in Fargo, North Dakota. Next day, I heard that a father and his daughter had figured they'd cut across there. Probably to save some time. As I recall, they made it about half-way.

The best way to deal with heavy weather around here is to stay inside and wait for it to blow over. But, like I said, it's up to you.

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