Winter storm warning extended, blizzard warning to west

The National Weather Service (NWS) has extended the Winter Storm Warning for Allen County, Indiana to 7 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6. Also included in the extended warning are the Indiana counties of Lagrange, Steuben, Noble, De Kalb, Whitley, Huntington, Wells and Blackford, the Ohio counties of Williams, Fulton, Defiance, Henry and Paulding and the Michigan counties of Branch, Hillsdale. Here are highlights of the latest warning statement:

 * HEAVY SNOW WITH RATES OF 1 INCH PER HOUR WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
MID EVENING BEFORE ENDING. STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 16
INCHES ARE EXPECTED.

* NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING. WIND
GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES AFTER MIDNIGHT. THIS WILL
CAUSE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW TONIGHT INTO MONDAY
WHICH COULD PRODUCE NEAR WHITE OUT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT
TIMES.

* TEMPERATURES WILL DROP DRASTICALLY TONIGHT WITH LOWS BETWEEN
7 BELOW AND 20 BELOW ZERO. DEADLY WIND CHILLS BETWEEN 30
BELOW AND 45 BELOW ZERO CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY.

For other nearby counties, NWS has upgraded to a blizzard warning until 7 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6. Counties covered by the blizzard warning include the Indiana counties of: La Porte, St. Joseph, Elkhart, Starke, Pulaski, Marshall, Fulton, Kosciusko, White, Cass, Miami, Wabash and Grant.

 * HEAVY SNOW WILL TAPER OFF THROUGH MID EVENING. STORM TOTAL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 16 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.

* NORTH WINDS WILL SHIFT NORTHWEST AND INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH THIS EVENING. THIS WILL CAUSE SEVERE
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVERNIGHT WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

* TEMPERATURES WILL DROP DRASTICALLY OVERNIGHT WITH LOWS BETWEEN
5 BELOW AND 15 BELOW ZERO. DEADLY WIND CHILLS BETWEEN 30
BELOW AND 45 BELOW ZERO CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY.