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12/19/2011
Larry Costanzo
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Industry News
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A major winter storm is set to hammer parts of the High Plains of far
northeast New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas.
Ingredients include heavy snow, high winds, falling temps and biting
wind chills. Suffice to say, this is a dangerous and life-threatening
storm for those stuck outside in the elements.
Blizzard conditions likely: New Mexico | Texas | Colorado | Oklahoma | Kansas
Fierce Winds and a Foot or More of Snow
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Deep Snow:
The snow will pile up in parts of the Southwest and southern High
Plains (purple colors). Cold, gusty winds will make for blizzard
conditions and next-to-impossible driving conditions.
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Storm Timing
A strong upper low is sliding east into southern New Mexico and west
Texas. Its presence will help to induce a surface area of low pressure
to develop over West Texas at the same time.
See the animation below for the timing of snow (or rain) in your area.
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Storm timing:
This forecast model animation shows snow (white shading) intensifying
Monday, peaking Monday night, then diminishing by midday Tuesday. Some
freezing rain is also possible (pink shading) in parts of Kansas,
Missouri, and southern Iowa, but only light accumulations are expected.
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Increasing Winds
This area of low pressure will mature on Monday over Texas,
eventually tracking into Oklahoma by early Tuesday morning. Meanwhile,
as our winter storm germinates in the Southwest, high pressure will
bully its way into the northern Rockies and northern Plains. The
pressure gradient between these two areas of low and high pressure will
give way to powerful northerly winds on Monday and Tuesday; reaching
sustained speeds between 25 and 35 mph with gusts approaching 50 mph.
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Forecast winds Monday night:
Areas shaded in the darkest blue will see the strongest sustained winds
tonight. Combined with heavy snow, blizzard conditions are possible in
some of these areas. More maps
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Winter Storm Alerts
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Blizzard Alerts:
A powerful storm beginning on Monday morning will create dangerous
winter conditions complete with heavy snow, high winds and falling
temperatures. States impacted include New Mexico, panhandles of Texas
and Oklahoma, southeast Colorado and southwest Kansas. State-by-State Alerts
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Falling Temps
Those northerly winds will help transport in a much colder air mass as a cold front drops south over the outlined region
- northern New Mexico, Texas/Oklahoma panhandles, southeast Colorado
and southwest Kansas. Wind chills will sink into the single digits
during the storm. Long-term exposure will certainly lead to frost bite.
Map: Central US current temps
Map: Current wind chill values
Snow Amounts
The moisture available for this storm will be plentiful as moisture
is transported in from the Pacific Ocean and even some additional
moisture tapped from the Gulf of Mexico. Snowfall totals will be
impressive. The Weather Channel is forecasting a foot or more of snow
for northeast New Mexico, far southeast Colorado, parts of the
panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma and southwest to central Kansas.
View: 48-Hour Precipitation Forecast
The combination of the heavy snow, howling winds and single-digit
wind chills tell us that this is a significant and dangerous storm.
Blizzard conditions will be realized at times during the height of the
storm. Blowing and drifting snow will create absolutely horrible driving
conditions as visibility is reduced to zero at times. Roads will become
icy and snow-packed.
Panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma
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TX/OK Panhandle: Widespread blowing, drifting snow in the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma by Monday evening. Wind chills only 0 to 15 degrees.
Image Credit: NOAA/NWS
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Common sense tells you that travel is not recommended at all
beginning Sunday night and lasting through Tuesday morning. This
includes interstates such as I-40, I-25, I-27 and I-70.
You are taking your life in your hands if you travel on any of these
interstates and various adjacent U.S. routes during the height of the
storm.
Important Note: U.S. Route 54 - from Santa Rosa, New
Mexico across the panhandles to near Dodge City, Kansas - will be the
epicenter of horrendous winter travel conditions. Driving conditions
Again, this is a life-threatening storm if you are caught outside in
the elements of this storm or somehow become stranded. Now is the time
to prepare for this dangerous storm. Winter storm preparation
Southwest Kansas Impacts
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Southwest Kansas:
Beginning as rain/sleet on Monday morning but soon changing to snow by
midday. Blowing/drifting snow as winds increase throughout the day.
Travel will be next to impossible. Image Credit: NOAA/NWS
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The original story from Weather.com can be found HERE.
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