It looks like the afternoon NWS update didn't see the movement to the east that Freese did this morning. NWS is predicting 2-6 in Des Moines, but if it does what Freese said this morning instead, 8-10 is certainly a possibility.
Official Winter Storm Thread for 12/21 - 12/26
- Thread starter Jer
- Start date
It looks like the afternoon NWS update didn't see the movement to the east that Freese did this morning. NWS is predicting 2-6 in Des Moines, but if it does what Freese said this morning instead, 8-10 is certainly a possibility.
Here's the latest watch/advisory from NWS for Des Moines:
Freezing Rain Advisory, Winter Storm Watch
Statement as of 4:08 PM CST on December 22, 2009
... Freezing Rain Advisory in effect from 9 PM this evening to
noon CST Wednesday...
... Winter Storm Watch now in effect from Wednesday afternoon
through Friday afternoon...
The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Freezing
Rain Advisory... which is in effect from 9 PM this evening to noon
CST Wednesday. The Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from
Wednesday afternoon through Friday afternoon.
... Freezing Rain Advisory...
* timing... freezing drizzle will spread southward with
time... into central and southern Iowa by late this evening.
* Total ice accumulations... around a tenth of an inch of ice
accumulation is expected through midday Wednesday.
* Visibility... the freezing drizzle will combine with areas of
fog to reduce visibilities to less than one mile in areas.
* Impacts... travel will be hazardous with areas of black ice...
especially on less treated roads. It will take only very minor
ice accumulations to cause travel difficulties. In addition...
the ice can be difficult to see on the Road... so a Road that
appears to be clear may actually be icy.
... Winter Storm Watch...
* timing... although freezing drizzle or light freezing rain may
occur through tonight and Wednesday morning... the most
significant impacts with this storm should occur from Wednesday
afternoon through Friday.
* Storm total ice accumulations... icing of up to one quarter of an
inch is expected through Thursday.
* Storm total snow accumulations... the precipitation should become
primarily snow late Thursday into Friday with total
accumulations by the end of the storm from 2 to 6 inches from
Atlantic... Des Moines and Grinnell... up to over a foot along and
west of a Denison... to Fort Dodge... to Mason City line.
* Winds... brisk east winds of 15 to 25 mph will be in place
through much of Wednesday and Thursday before increasing even
further by Friday and turning around to north and northwest. Winds
by that time may be sustained at 25 to 35 mph with gusts even
higher.
* Visibility... during the periods of heavy snow Thursday into
Friday... visibilities will generally be less than one mile and
even down to a quarter mile during the heaviest snows. With
increasing winds and snow coincident by Friday... blowing snow
and greatly reduced visibilities near blizzard conditions are
expected by that time.
* Impacts... travel will become increasingly difficult in the watch
area on Wednesday during the wintry mix of precipitation and
continue to be difficult into Thursday and Friday as snow
accumulates and winds increase. In the heaviest snow areas...
travel may become nearly impossible due to blowing and drifting
snow Thursday night into Friday.
It seems to me that because of the continued advertised warm air feeding into our neck of the woods and the overall intensity seems to have been backed off a bit, this is not going to be as bad as thought earlier. It bears mention (as others have pointed out) that the models still do not have a great handle on the system, and this could change as it gets closer.
However, any ice on the roads will be EXTREMELY hazardous to drive on. Be careful out there.
However, any ice on the roads will be EXTREMELY hazardous to drive on. Be careful out there.
Hard to say, check the road conditions through the Iowa & Minnesota respective DOT websites before you head out.
If it were me, I'd hold off as long as possible to try and let things warm up. Not sure how warm it is supposed to get, but if you could get to around 33 or 34, your driving would be a lot better than if it was 30 or 31. Especially since you don't have far to go.
Ice pellets = some type of ammunition you can use in pellet guns, but after impact they melt so it leaves no trace of evidence.
Ice Cream, of course.
After all, it is the world-wide headquarters for Blue Bunny.
Hometown, wifes hometown, family, Christmas, homers, rallies, and yes ice cream!:smile:
