URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
359 AM CST MON FEB 27 2012

...MAJOR WINTER STORM FOR PARTS OF THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT
INTO WEDNESDAY...

.ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM IS TARGETING THE NORTHERN PLAINS FOR
TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MUCH STRONGER
SYSTEM WITH MORE SNOW AND STRONGER WINDS EXPECTED. AT THIS TIME IT
APPEARS THAT THE SOUTHERN RED RIVER VALLEY INTO WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA WOULD BE HIT WITH THE WORST OF THESE CONDITIONS. A FOOT
OR MORE OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN RED RIVER VALLEY
TAPERING TO AROUND 6 INCHES ALONG THE HIGHWAY 2 CORRIDOR. GUSTY
SOUTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM ON TUESDAY THEN
WINDS SHOULD BECOME MORE NORTHERLY BY WEDNESDAY AS THE SYSTEM
PASSES OFF TO THE EAST. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS TO VISIBILITY DUE
TO FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW ARE POSSIBLE. UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES
THIS STORM WOULD BE THE STRONGEST SO FAR THIS WINTER. HOWEVER
THERE COULD STILL BE SOME SHIFTS IN THE TRACK OF THE STORM SO
LATER ADJUSTMENTS MAY BE NEEDED.

MNZ001>003-013>016-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ024-026>030-038-039-049-
052-053-010000-
/O.EXT.KFGF.BZ.A.0001.120229T0000Z-120301T0000Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK-
NORTH CLEARWATER-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-
EAST BECKER-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-
EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-
SARGENT-RICHLAND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROOKSTON...EAST GRAND FORKS...
HALSTAD...MOORHEAD...THIEF RIVER FALLS...RED LAKE FALLS...
FOSSTON...BAGLEY...MAHNOMEN...LAKE ITASCA...PARK RAPIDS...
DETROIT LAKES...WOLF LAKE...BRECKENRIDGE...FERGUS FALLS...
NEW YORK MILLS...WADENA...ELBOW LAKE...NEW ROCKFORD...LAKOTA...
GRAND FORKS...COOPERSTOWN...FINLEY...MAYVILLE...VALLEY CITY...
FARGO...LISBON...GWINNER...WAHPETON
359 AM CST MON FEB 27 2012

...BLIZZARD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...

* THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM SHOULD BEGIN TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF
  NORTHWEST MINNESOTA LATER ON TUESDAY.

* FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW LATE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY COULD
  RESULT IN NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY AT TIMES IN OPEN COUNTRY WITH
  WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF OVER A FOOT ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS WEST
  CENTRAL MINNESOTA TAPERING TO AROUND 6 INCHES ALONG THE
  HIGHWAY 2 CORRIDOR.

* THIS APPEARS TO BE THE STRONGEST STORM SO FAR THIS WINTER SO
  MAKE PLANS NOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES.
THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY
DANGEROUS.

&&

$$

A STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO ORGANIZE OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES LATE SATURDAY…AND TRACK ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON SUNDAY. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR GREATER THAN SIX INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION FROM SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING…ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. IN ADDITION…BREEZY EASTERLY AND NORTHEASTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE STORM SYSTEM. SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINS REGARDING THE EXACT TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THE STORM SYSTEM. AS A RESULT…THE AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION AND THE LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES. PERSONS PLANNING TO TRAVEL BETWEEN SATURDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SYSTEM.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=fgf&storyid=79512&source=0