Winter storm update

Here’s an update on the winter storm as of 1 p.m. Sunday, January 5.

Early this morning, the northern Indiana office of the National Weather Service published the infographic below, which indicates that most of its forecast area (including Fort Wayne and Allen County) was still forecast to receive up to 14 inches of snow:

At 11:50 a.m., the NWS issued an updated Winter Storm Warning and Wind Chill Warning. You can read the complete text here. Here’s the gist of it:

 * HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SNOWFALL RATES
OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY THIS
EVENING. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 14 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.

* GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WILL DEVELOP EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON AND INCREASE T0 BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH BY THIS
EVENING. WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES. 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.

You might have wondered why there wasn’t more snow on the ground when you got up this morning. Here’s a tweet from the NWS that explains:

Its been snowing all night in our northwest but slow to develop in east. Heavy snow still on way. Latest forecasts at http://t.co/QFs72S9OfN
— NWS Northern Indiana (@NWSIWX) January 5, 2014

Some counties, including Allen County, have issued advisories that recommend against or restrict travel. Here’s a set of tweets from Allen County government:

Allen County and the Cities of Fort Wayne and New Haven have issued a winter weather travel WATCH ADVISORY effective at 1 p.m. (1/3)
— Allen County INfo (@allencountyinfo) January 5, 2014

A watch means that conditions are threatening to the safety of the public. (2/3)
— Allen County INfo (@allencountyinfo) January 5, 2014

During a travel WATCH ADVISORY, only essential travel, such as to and from work or in emergency situations, is recommended. (3/3)
— Allen County INfo (@allencountyinfo) January 5, 2014

You can see a color-coded map of such advisories for every county in Indiana by going to this page on the website of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

For road conditions, there’s a continuously updated map on the website of the Indiana Department of Transportation. Below is a sample from 1 p.m. Blue indicates roads in fair condition and purple indicates “difficult.”

To stay on top of the storm situation, below are some other resources you can use:

NWS issues updated winter storm warning

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
950 PM EST SAT JAN 4 2014

LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-
ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN-MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT-
BLACKFORD-JAY-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY-
PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...SHIPSHEWANA...
ANGOLA...FREMONT...KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...ALBION...AUBURN...
GARRETT...ROCHESTER...AKRON...WARSAW...WINONA LAKE...SYRACUSE...
MENTONE...COLUMBIA CITY...TRI-LAKES...SOUTH WHITLEY...
FORT WAYNE...NEW HAVEN...MONTICELLO...BROOKSTON...MONON...
LOGANSPORT...ROYAL CENTER...PERU...GRISSOM AFB...MEXICO...
WABASH...NORTH MANCHESTER...HUNTINGTON...ROANOKE...BLUFFTON...
OSSIAN...DECATUR...BERNE...MARION...GAS CITY...UPLAND...
HARTFORD CITY...MONTPELIER...PORTLAND...DUNKIRK...COLDWATER...
BRONSON...HILLSDALE...LITCHFIELD...JONESVILLE...BRYAN...WAUSEON...
ARCHBOLD...FAYETTE...SWANTON...DEFIANCE...SHERWOOD...HICKSVILLE...
NAPOLEON...DESHLER...LIBERTY CENTER...PAULDING...ANTWERP...
MELROSE...OTTAWA...PANDORA...KALIDA...FORT JENNINGS...VAN WERT...
DELPHOS...OHIO CITY...LIMA...SPENCERVILLE

950 PM EST SAT JAN 4 2014

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM SUNDAY TO
1 AM EST MONDAY...
...WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 8 PM
EST TUESDAY...

HAZARDOUS WEATHER...

* LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATE THIS EVENING WITH 1 TO
LOCALLY 2 INCHES POSSIBLE BY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL BECOME
HEAVY AT TIMES SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY EVENING WITH TOTAL
ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING OF 10 TO 14 INCHES.

* GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WILL DEVELOP SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AND INCREASE TO 20 TO 35 MPH SUNDAY EVENING. THIS
WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW SUNDAY NIGHT
INTO MONDAY WHICH COULD PRODUCE NEAR WHITE OUT BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS AT TIMES.

* TEMPERATURES WILL DROP DRASTICALLY SUNDAY NIGHT WITH LOWS
BETWEEN 7 BELOW AND 17 BELOW ZERO. DEADLY WIND CHILLS BETWEEN
30 BELOW AND 45 BELOW ZERO CAN BE EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT
THROUGH TUESDAY.

IMPACTS...

* ROADS WILL BE SNOW COVERED...SLICK AND HAZARDOUS. TRAVEL
CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE...ESPECIALLY SUNDAY
AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING SNOW WILL
CAUSE ROADWAYS TO BECOME PARTIALLY OR FULLY IMPASSABLE FOR A
PERIOD OF TIME.

* VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS IN
HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA WILL OCCUR IN A MATTER OF MINUTES
WITH THESE EXPECTED WIND CHILLS. DEATH WILL ALSO OCCUR IF
PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW
ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN
EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...
FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND
STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS
WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF
PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

Winter storm warning: 10″ to 14″ of snow

NWS winter storm infographic
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
357 PM EST SAT JAN 4 2014

...DANGEROUS WINTER STORM WITH HISTORIC COLD AIR AND WIND
CHILLS...

.A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW WITH BLOWING
AND DRIFTING SNOW BEGINNING TONIGHT AND CONTINUING INTO SUNDAY
NIGHT. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY EXTREMELY COLD
TEMPERATURES AND DEADLY WIND CHILLS SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY.

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT WITH SNOW
SPREADING FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO
4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT NEAR THIS FRONT ACROSS NORTHWEST
INDIANA AND FAR SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. LESSER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS
OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA.

A RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL MOVE ALONG THE
FRONT SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT BRINGING ADDITIONAL HEAVY SNOW TO
THE REGION. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 10 TO 14 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE
BY SUNDAY NIGHT OVER THE ENTIRE AREA...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS
ALONG THE LAKESHORE AREAS. IN ADDITION...STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS
WILL DEVELOP SUNDAY WITH WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND
NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY AT TIMES. AS WINDS INCREASE AND COLDER AIR
ARRIVES...WIND CHILLS WILL QUICKLY DROP TO BETWEEN 30 AND 45
DEGREES BELOW ZERO SUNDAY NIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY WINTER STORM AND
TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...BE PREPARED
FOR SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL ISSUES WITH POSSIBLE ROAD CLOSURES AND
BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS. PACK EXTRA BLANKETS...FOOD...WATER...A
SHOVEL AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
WALK LONG DISTANCES OR SPEND LONG PERIODS OF TIME OUTSIDE.

INZ006>009-015>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ080-081-OHZ001-002-004-
005-015-016-024-025-050500-
/O.CON.KIWX.WS.W.0002.140105T0600Z-140106T0600Z/
/O.CON.KIWX.WC.W.0001.140106T0600Z-140108T0100Z/
LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-
ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN-MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT-
BLACKFORD-JAY-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY-
PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...SHIPSHEWANA...
ANGOLA...FREMONT...KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...ALBION...AUBURN...
GARRETT...ROCHESTER...AKRON...WARSAW...WINONA LAKE...SYRACUSE...
MENTONE...COLUMBIA CITY...TRI-LAKES...SOUTH WHITLEY...
FORT WAYNE...NEW HAVEN...MONTICELLO...BROOKSTON...MONON...
LOGANSPORT...ROYAL CENTER...PERU...GRISSOM AFB...MEXICO...
WABASH...NORTH MANCHESTER...HUNTINGTON...ROANOKE...BLUFFTON...
OSSIAN...DECATUR...BERNE...MARION...GAS CITY...UPLAND...
HARTFORD CITY...MONTPELIER...PORTLAND...DUNKIRK...COLDWATER...
BRONSON...HILLSDALE...LITCHFIELD...JONESVILLE...BRYAN...WAUSEON...
ARCHBOLD...FAYETTE...SWANTON...DEFIANCE...SHERWOOD...HICKSVILLE...
NAPOLEON...DESHLER...LIBERTY CENTER...PAULDING...ANTWERP...
MELROSE...OTTAWA...PANDORA...KALIDA...FORT JENNINGS...VAN WERT...
DELPHOS...OHIO CITY...LIMA...SPENCERVILLE
357 PM EST SAT JAN 4 2014

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM SUNDAY TO
1 AM EST MONDAY...
...WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 8 PM
EST TUESDAY...

HAZARDOUS WEATHER...

* LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATE THIS EVENING WITH 1 TO
LOCALLY 2 INCHES POSSIBLE BY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL BECOME
HEAVY AT TIMES SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY EVENING WITH TOTAL
ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING OF 10 TO 14 INCHES.

* GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WILL DEVELOP SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AND INCREASE TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH SUNDAY EVENING.
THIS WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO
AT LEAST SUNDAY NIGHT.

* TEMPERATURES WILL DROP DRASTICALLY SUNDAY NIGHT WITH LOWS
BETWEEN 7 BELOW AND 17 BELOW ZERO. DEADLY WIND CHILLS BETWEEN
30 BELOW AND 45 BELOW ZERO CAN BE EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT
THROUGH TUESDAY.

IMPACTS...

* ROADS WILL BE SNOW COVERED...SLICK AND HAZARDOUS. TRAVEL
CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE...ESPECIALLY SUNDAY
AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING SNOW WILL
CAUSE ROADWAYS TO BECOME PARTIALLY OR FULLY IMPASSABLE FOR A
PERIOD OF TIME.

* VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS IN
HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA WILL OCCUR IN A MATTER OF MINUTES
WITH THESE EXPECTED WIND CHILLS. DEATH WILL ALSO OCCUR IF
PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW
ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN
EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...
FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND
STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS
WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF
PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

Ft. wayne to open shelters Sunday; warming stations to open Monday

The City of Fort Wayne issued the following news release this afternoon:

January 3, 2014 – The City of Fort Wayne today announced it’s preparing for the potential for a significant snow event beginning Sunday and dangerous cold temperatures.

In anticipation for the possibility of severe weather, two shelters will open beginning at Noon on Sunday, Jan. 5 to provide a place for individuals in need of shelter. The shelters would remain open until further notice. Plans could change as needed.
Shelter locations:*Salvation Army, 2901 N. Clinton St.
*Public Safety Academy, 7602 Patriot Crossing

In addition, the City’s Parks & Recreation Department will open four warming stations beginning on Monday, Jan. 6 for individuals in need of a location to stay warm for a shorter period of time. It’s expected the warming stations will be open through Tuesday. Plans could change as needed.

Warming station locations:
*Community Center, 233 W. Main St., 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
*Jennings Center, 1330 McCulloch St., Noon-8 p.m.
*Weisser Center, 802 Eckart St., Noon-8 p.m.
*Cooper Center, 2300 Clinton/Lafayette streets, Noon-8 p.m.

“We’re taking a proactive approach to meet the needs of citizens in our community,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “I appreciate the teamwork and partnerships as we come together to respond to a possible major winter storm. I encourage all citizens to be safe and be sure to check on friends and neighbors as we anticipate a lot of snow and very cold temperatures.”

The City’s Police, Fire, and Public Works departments are all prepared with full personnel in position to respond accordingly to any potential weather emergencies.

Meteorologists concerned about snowfall forecast

The northern Indiana office of the National Weather Service issued an Area Forecast Discussion this afternoon that reveals meteorologists thinking about the coming winter storm. Here are some highlights (translating contractions as necessary):

“Concerns loom that models are not capturing full potential of the system and that much more snow could occur than presently forecast as well as track further northwest.”

“At this time the highest is confined to southeastern half of the (office’s forecast) area but as noted genuine concerns that this axis could be shifted northwest.”

“Travel Sunday into Monday will likely become difficult if not impossible especially in rural areas where significant drifting will occur.”