WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE-NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
725 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012

...HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS CENTRAL TO NORTHWEST IOWA
TODAY...

.A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS AND
SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN
MISSOURI THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY. RAIN WILL TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING INTO THE
AFTERNOON HOURS. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL BE ACROSS NORTH
CENTRAL TO NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF IOWA. STRONG NORTH TO NORTHEAST
WINDS WILL DEVELOP BY THIS AFTERNOON AND LEAD TO BLOWING SNOW AND
REDUCED VISIBILITY AT TIMES INTO THIS EVENING.

IAZ016-025>027-036>039-047>050-232130-
/O.CON.KDMX.WS.W.0003.120223T1500Z-120224T0600Z/
HANCOCK-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-
BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GARNER...CLARION...HAMPTON...ALLISON...
WEBSTER CITY...ELDORA...GRUNDY CENTER...WATERLOO...BOONE...AMES...
MARSHALLTOWN...TOLEDO
725 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST
TONIGHT...

* TIMING...RAIN WILL QUICKLY TRANSITION TO SNOW BY THE LATE
  MORNING HOURS. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS ANTICIPATED TO OCCUR
  FROM AROUND MIDDAY INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS...WHERE SNOWFALL
  RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED. THE HEAVIEST
  SNOW IS FORECAST TO BEGIN TO TAPER OFF BY MID EVENING.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW...TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES...WITH
  LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SHIFT FROM EAST THIS
  MORNING TO NORTH NORTHEAST BY THE AFTERNOON AND INCREASE TO 15
  TO 30 MPH. THESE GUSTY WINDS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE VISIBILITY
  RESTRICTIONS OF ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS DURING THE HEAVIEST
  SNOWFALL THIS AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...WITH THE GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS DEVELOPING LATE THIS
  AFTERNOON...AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED
  BY THE EVENING HOURS. TRAVEL WILL BECOME QUITE DIFFICULT AS
  CONDITIONS WORSEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.