SE TE'ers: the ice storm cometh

[sundial]

Okay, this weather alert is for the Texas panhandle, OK, MO bootheel, NW AR, NW TN, KY, and a few other unlucky states. The NWS states there is a significant snow and ice event to include 1/4" of ice and 6"-12" of snow. So check your stock of batteries, flashlights, propane, gas, oil (for the generator), radios, De-Ice, and of course food for both you and the fur kids.

Good luck, stay warm, and snuggle in for a long weekend.

[sundial]

New Mexico--you're first in line.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
543 AM MST TUE JAN 26 2010

...ANOTHER WINTER STORM SYSTEM TO DUMP HEAVY SNOW OVER THE SOUTH
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF NEW MEXICO...

.ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE OVER NEW MEXICO LATE
WEDNESDAY AND SLOWLY MOVE THROUGH THE STATE THURSDAY BEFORE
EXITING EARLY FRIDAY. THIS UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL INTRODUCE DEEP
MOISTURE AND STRONG INSTABILITY LEADING TO ANOTHER WIDESPREAD
PRECIPITATION EVENT ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS.
WARM TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM WILL INITIALLY KEEP SNOW
LEVELS HIGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT BUT A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL BARREL
INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHEAST ON THURSDAY COOLING
TEMPERATURES AND LOWERING SNOW LEVELS OVER THE SACRAMENTO
MOUNTAINS. THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS OF THE GILA REGION WILL ALSO
RECEIVE SOME HIGH ELEVATION SNOWS...BUT WITH SNOW LEVELS STAYING
RELATIVELY HIGH...MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN OVER SNOWPACK WILL POSE
A FLOODING POTENTIAL OUT WEST. OVER THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS
UPSLOPE FLOW AND STRONG UPPER DYNAMICS WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF
HEAVY SNOW LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THE SYSTEM
WILL PULL AWAY FROM THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL
END FOR ALL...WITH A FEW LINGERING LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE
FRIDAY OVER THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS.

NMZ025-262300-
/O.NEW.KEPZ.WS.A.0003.100128T0800Z-100129T1400Z/
SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MESCALERO...CLOUDCROFT...TIMBERON
543 AM MST TUE JAN 26 2010

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA HAS
ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

* TIMING...SNOWFALL WILL BEGIN OVER THE HIGH MOUNTAINS OF THE GILA
WEDNESDAY EVENING. THESE SHOWER WILL SPREAD EAST WITH LIGHT SNOW
SHOWERS EXPECTED TO BEGIN OVER THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS AROUND
MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP EARLY THURSDAY AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES IN FROM THE EAST.
SNOWFALL WILL DIMINISH THURSDAY NIGHT WITH SOME LINGERING LIGHT
SNOW SHOWERS LASTING INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

* SNOW LEVELS...INITIAL SNOW LEVELS WILL BE AROUND 7500 FEET
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL FALL TO 4500 FEET AFTER MIDDAY
THURSDAY BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE
EXPECTED OVER THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS. OUT
WEST GENERALLY LIGHT SNOW OVER THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS OF THE
GILA REGION WITH 2-4 INCHES AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 7000 FEET. IN
THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS 3-5 INCHES BELOW 6000 FEET WITH 7-15
INCHES POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER EAST SLOPES.

* IMPACTS...ROADWAYS WILL BECOME SNOW PACKED. HAZARDOUS DRIVING
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. VISIBILITIES IN HEAVY SNOW MAY FALL
BELOW ONE HALF MILE.

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.

And for the Midsouth:

Event: Special Weather Statement
Alert:
...WINTER STORM EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...WITH SIGNIFICANT
ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE...

A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM MOVING ALONG THE GULF COAST WILL BRING
MOISTURE INTO THE MIDSOUTH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND ON THURSDAY.
AN ARCTIC AIR MASS WILL ALSO DROP SOUTH INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
THE MIDSOUTH THURSDAY EVENING...CHANGING RAIN OVER TO A MIXTURE OF
FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET. THE SHALLOW ARCTIC AIR MASS WILL ADVANCE
SOUTH THURSDAY NIGHT...CHANGING RAIN TO A MIXTURE OF SLEET AND
FREEZING RAIN ACROSS CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE MIDSOUTH BY FRIDAY
MORNING. AREAS ALONG THE MISSOURI AND KENTUCKY BORDERS WILL LIKELY
SEE A CHANGEOVER TO SNOW BY FRIDAY MORNING. SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW
WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH. CONFIDENCE
IS HIGH THAT THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE MIDSOUTH WILL SEE SOME
WINTRY PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER CURRENT CONFIDENCE IS MUCH LOWER
OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH.
THERE STILL REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THIS
POTENTIAL WINTER STORM SYSTEM. SMALL DEVIATIONS IN THE SPEED AND
STRENGTH OF THE DEVELOPING SYSTEM WILL DETERMINE THE SOUTHERN
EXTENT OF THE ARCTIC AIR. THESE INFLUENCES WILL GREATLY IMPACT
PRECIPITATION TYPES AND AMOUNTS.
STRONG WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE STORM. SHOULD SIGNIFICANT ICE AND
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OCCUR...THE STRONG WINDS COULD HELP BRING DOWN
TREE LIMBS...WHICH COULD CAUSE POWER OUTAGES.
THE WINTER STORM SHOULD CLEAR THE MIDSOUTH BY THE WEEKEND...WITH
BITTER COLD ARCTIC AIR USHERING IN BEHIND THE DEPARTING STORM
SYSTEM.
PERSONS IN THE MIDSOUTH ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THE POTENTIAL
OF SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND POSSIBLE POWER OUTAGES...FOLLOWED
BY MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES PERSISTING INTO THE WEEKEND.

[SadieKate]

The worst weather I ever flew in was a flight out of Amarillo in the dark in the middle of an ice storm in a tiny little commuter prop-job.

I lay across the back bench and moaned* as quietly as possible all the way to Dallas.

Everyone, stay safe.

*I should clarify this. I wasn't scared so much of the weather as throwing up. I'm banned from LAX for life for too many childhood incidents (when flying home from Amarillo).

[tulip]

Sundial's weather reports rock!! Thanks, Sundial. I've been waiting for the weather reports to start up again.

[Bike Chick]

Thanks Sundial! We've been hearing that it's heading this way but they don't know how much we will get yet. Let's hope it's the snow and not the ice..... Looks like I'll be on the trainer this weekend

[Tri Girl]

I KNOW!

I don't mind the snow (like the 14" we had for Christmas), but the ice just bites. We lose power when any ice accumulates. 2 years ago we lost power for week. Oh well. If all else fails, I'll go sleep in my classroom (the school never loses power).

I really don't think we'll get as much as they're sensationalizing, but I'm sure we'll get some. I just hope it's not a lot. Went to the store to get some food, but the parking lot was FULL so I just went home. I'll just make do with the canned goods I have in the fridge.

Stay safe everyone!!

[Selkie]

On the news last night, the meteorologist said it might be a significant storm for the southeast (it was in California then and expected to get more moisture over the Gulf of Mexico). Didn't think the DC area was going to get hit hard by it, as the worst of it is supposed to stay south (Eastern Shore of MD might get hit, though). We might get a couple inches here in the DC metro area Friday night into Saturday but no ice.

Sun---Are Nicki and Kali snow lovers? You'll have to get some pictures of them romping in it and post them.

[tulip]

It's supposed to snow in Richmond on Friday and Saturday, but I don't know how much.

[Cataboo]

I'd love snow in the DC area.

There were flurries yesterday afternoon.

[sfa]

I'm bummed. When the weather geeks were first watching this storm, they were predicting a more northern route, so I was looking forward to eight or twelve inches of snow in Maryland this weekend! Now we'll be lucky to get a dusting.

Sarah

[Tuckervill]

They're already hedging for my area. I don't think it's going to be so bad. (Unless you're in Oklahoma.)

Karen

[Blueberry]

They're predicting anything between a half an inch of ice and 8 inches of snow for us. Makes it hard to plan. And my poor grandma is supposed to be transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility in the middle of this (she had a knee replacement). I love snow usually, but right now - ugh!

[Bike Chick]

It's already starting here...sleet and snow mixed but the ground is still too warm for it to do anything significant. The temp is hovering at 32.......and this wasn't supposed to start until tomorrow!!

[Tri Girl]

Where are you at bike chick?
Some districts have already canceled school for tomorrow and Friday and it's bone dry here right now. Ice shouldn't start until mid-morning tomorrow.
Personally, I think they're jumping the gun a little.
I still don't think it's going to be nearly as bad as they're predicting. I hope I'm right.

[Grits]

It is headed to NC. Tomorrow it is supposed to be 61 degrees and sunny. I am going for a ride with a friend. Saturday is supposed to be a high of 29 with ice and/or snow!