Winter Storm Watch
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
318 AM CST TUE DEC 18 2012
...A MAJOR WINTER STORM POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...
.AN INTENSE WINTER STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE MIDWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY
SNOW AND VERY STRONG WINDS TO THE AREA. CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THAT 6 INCHES OR MORE OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA WITH MOST OF IT FALLING FROM
LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. GUSTY WINDS WILL INCREASE AND BECOME QUITE STRONG BY THURSDAY MORNING...PRODUCING POTENTIALLY WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND NEAR
BLIZZARD TO LOCALLY POSSIBLY BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN OPEN AND RURAL AREAS.
FOR COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST IOWA...NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND NORTHWESTILLINOIS...A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL LIKELY DEVELOP WEDNESDAY
EVENING...WITH A CHANGE TO ALL SNOW BY THURSDAY MORNING. EVEN IN THIS AREA...THE COMBINATION OF VERY STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW THURSDAY COULD PRODUCE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.
THOSE PLANNING TRAVEL ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY SHOULD PREPARE FOR A WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE REGION. KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS AS THE LOCATION OF THE HEAVY SNOW AND MOST DANGEROUS CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE AS THE STORM APPROACHES. AS FORECASTER CONFIDENCE INCREASES...WINTER STORM WARNINGS WILL BE
ISSUED FOR AREAS THAT WILL SEE THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.
IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087-088-098-ILZ001-015-181930-
/O.CON.KDVN.WS.A.0004.121220T0000Z-121221T0000Z/
BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON-
CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON-
HENRY IA-VAN BUREN-JO DAVIESS-ROCK ISLAND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INDEPENDENCE...MANCHESTER...DUBUQUE...
VINTON...CEDAR APIDS...ANAMOSA...MAQUOKETA...MARENGO...
IOWA CITY...TIPTON...CLINTON...MUSCATINE...BETTENDORF...
DAVENPORT...SIGOURNEY...WASHINGTON...WAPELLO...FAIRFIELD...
MOUNT PLEASANT...KEOSAUQUA....GALENA...MOLINE...ROCK ISLAND
318 AM CST TUE DEC 18 2012
...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON...
* HEAVY SNOW AND VERY STRONG WINDS COULD OCCUR IN THE WATCH AREA WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY.
* SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 6 INCHES OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE.
* NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 50 MPH MAY ACCOMPANY THE SNOWFALL LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND ESPECIALLY THURSDAY MORNING INTO LATE AFTERNOON...MAKING FOR POTENTIALLY VERY TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.
* THOSE WHO MUST TRAVEL OR COMMUTE DURING THIS TIME SHOULD PLAN FOR DANGEROUS AND POSSIBLY THURSDAY MORNING INTO AFTERNOON...LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS IF STRANDED FOR PROLONGED PERIODS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW...SLEET ...AND/OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT WOULD SERIOUSLY IMPACT TRAVEL. MONITOR LATER FORECASTS FOR UPDATES.