Christmas Blizzard/Winter Storm Coming

There's a winter storm - a bit one - brewing. People in the Rockies are probably experiencing it now. Looks like we'll be seeing the storm here in central Minnesota Thursday morning.

The bottom line, from the National Weather Service, for our area, anyway, is 'if you don't need to travel, don't; if you think you need to travel, think again.'

No kidding. Storms like this are potentially lethal. I won't soon forget the time a father and daughter thought they'd drive on the road running across the south side of Fargo's airport. I saw the meat wagon go out for their bodies, when that storm had passed.

Not to be an alarmist: but these warnings are issued for a reason.

A couple of headlines, and a map:

"Another historic blizzard...along with ice !!"
The Weather Channel (December 22, 2009)


(From The Weather Channel, used w/o permission)
The map dates from late Wednesday evening, December 21, 2009.

"Winter Storm Warning"
Wunderground.com (December 22, 2009)

"Statement as of 8:16 PM CST on December 22, 2009

"... Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 6 am Thursday to 6 am CST Saturday...

"A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 6 am Thursday to 6 am CST Saturday.

"* Timing... several periods of snow are expected from early Thursday morning through Friday night.

"* Accumulations... significant amounts of snow will occur with periods of heavy snow possible as the storm intensifies Thursday and Friday. Near blizzard conditions can be
expected... particularly late Thursday through Friday. Total snowfall accumulations will likely exceed a foot in many areas... with a few totals in excess of 20 inches possible...."

There's more, mostly about what to expect when there's snow on the ground, more in the air, and the wind's between 20 and 30 miles an hour.

That Wunderground.com quote apparently uses data from the NOAA-NWS-ALERTS- system. Specifically, the one issued 20:16 CST on 12-22-2009, by by NWS Minneapolis (Southern Minnesota).

That National Weather Service warning reads:

"...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN STARTING WEDNESDAY NIGHT...

".A SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE UPPER MIDWEST STARTING AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND LASTING INTO SATURDAY. DUE TO THE STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM AND THE PROLONGED PERIOD FOR WHICH THE SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED...THERE WILL BE MAJOR IMPACTS FOR TRAVELERS...ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY. ALTHOUGH THERE REMAINS SOME MINOR TIMING ISSUES AND THE EXACT STORM TRACK IS NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR...THE LARGE NATURE OF THIS SYSTEM AND ITS EXPECTED HIGH ENERGY AND MOISTURE CONTENT...WILL LEAD TO A BROAD AREA OF HEAVY SNOW...WITH SOME SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. THIS STORM SYSTEM IS SO COMPLEX THAT WILL BE SEVERAL BOUTS OF PRECIPITATION WITH THIS EVENT. THE FIRST IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND SPREAD NORTHWARD ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. THIS WAVE HAS ABUNDANT WARM
AIR ASSOCIATED WITH IT...SO THERE MAY BE A MIXTURE OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN AS FAR NORTH SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THE NEXT WAVE IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WITH WIND SPEEDS INCREASING FROM THE NORTH. THE LAST WAVE WILL LIKELY BE THE WRAP AROUND MOISTURE WHICH WILL OCCUR FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS THE STORM SYSTEM BEGINS TO DEPART THE REGION. THE PRECISE TIMING OF EACH WAVE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION IS STILL UNCERTAIN....AND LIGHTER PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY OCCUR DURING ANY LULLS. AS THE STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES...SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE FURTHER REFINED...BUT TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY EXCEED A FOOT OVER PARTS MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN...WITH AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 20 INCHES POSSIBLE. GIVEN THE TIMING OF THIS SYSTEM...HOLIDAY ROAD AND AIR TRAVEL WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED.

"...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CST SATURDAY...

"A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CST SATURDAY.

"* TIMING...SEVERAL PERIODS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED FROM EARLY THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.

"* ACCUMULATIONS...SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW WILL OCCUR WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE AS THE STORM INTENSIFIES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED...PARTICULARLY LATE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY EXCEED A FOOT IN MANY AREAS...WITH A FEW TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 20 INCHES POSSIBLE.

"* SURFACE VISIBILITY WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED AS WINDS INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH FROM THE EAST ON WEDNESDAY...BECOMING MORE NORTHEAST...THEN NORTH ON FRIDAY.

"Instructions: 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...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
Target Area:
"Douglas
"Todd
"Morrison
"Mille Lacs
"Kanabec
"Stevens
"Pope
"Stearns
"Benton
"Sherburne
"Isanti
"Chisago
"Lac Qui Parle
"Swift
"Chippewa
"Kandiyohi
"Meeker
"Wright
"Hennepin
"Anoka
"Ramsey
"Washington
"Yellow Medicine
"Renville
"McLeod
"Sibley
"Carver
"Scott
"Dakota
"Redwood
"Brown
"Nicollet
"Le Sueur
"Rice
"Goodhue
"Watonwan
"Blue Earth
"Waseca
"Steele
"Martin
"Faribault
"Freeborn"
NOAA / NWS