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:	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
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.

More:

• "Winter Survival In Your Car" (pdf)
  Minnesota Department of Public Safety | Homeland Security and Emergency Management