All posts by Jay Farlow

I'm Jay Farlow. W9LW is my amateur (ham) radio call sign. I've been a ham since 1973. I've been a volunteer storm spotter for the National Weather Service SKYWARN program since the 1970s. I've also been a volunteer EMT and firefighter and member of a disaster medical assistance team. I advise the leadership team of Associated Churches Active in Disaster, a ministry of Associate Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County. Learn more about w9lw at www.qrz.com/db/w9lw.

NWS issues Special Weather Statement for heavy snow. Travel discouraged

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
617 PM EST TUE FEB 4 2014

INZ017-018-020-022>027-032>034-OHZ004-005-015-016-024-025-050300-
WHITLEY-ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN-MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-
ADAMS-GRANT-BLACKFORD-JAY-DEFIANCE-HENRY-PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-
ALLEN OH-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...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...DEFIANCE...
SHERWOOD...HICKSVILLE...NAPOLEON...DESHLER...LIBERTY CENTER...
PAULDING...ANTWERP...MELROSE...OTTAWA...PANDORA...KALIDA...
FORT JENNINGS...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...OHIO CITY...LIMA...
SPENCERVILLE

617 PM EST TUE FEB 4 2014

...HEAVY SNOW THIS EVENING...

SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN INTENSITY THIS EVENING WITH
SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR POSSIBLE THROUGH MIDNIGHT
EST. THE HEAVY SNOW WILL RESULT IN ROADS QUICKLY BECOMING SNOW
COVERED AND SLICK. VISIBILITIES WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED TO
LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE AT TIMES. TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED
ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AS CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO RAPIDLY
DETERIORATE THIS EVENING.

NWS issued updated snowfall forecast map — little change

NWS infographic on winter storm

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
330 PM EST TUE FEB 4 2014

...WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT OUR AREA OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...

.A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER LOUISIANA WILL INTENSIFY AND MOVE
RAPIDLY NORTHEAST TO PENNSYLVANIA ON WEDNESDAY. SNOW ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL OVERSPREAD OUR AREA FROM SOUTH TO NORTH LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND BE HEAVY AT TIMES THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT.

TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY ARE ANTICIPATED TO
GENERALLY BE IN THE 6 TO 10 INCH RANGE WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS
ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY 24 CORRIDOR. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO
1.5 INCHES PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE WITH GREATLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES
THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. FARTHER NORTHWEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS
SHOULD GRADUALLY TAPER TO 3 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS NORTHWEST INDIANA
AND FAR SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.

IN ADDITION...NORTH WINDS WILL INCREASE AND LIKELY CAUSE
SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW TO DEVELOP LATER
TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO MIDDAY WEDNESDAY...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN
AND RURAL AREAS...PRIMARILY AFFECTING EAST TO WEST ROADWAYS.

TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT...INCLUDING DURING THE WEDNESDAY MORNING
COMMUTE ACROSS THE REGION. INTERSTATES 65...69...75 AND 80 WILL BE
IMPACTED. PRIMARY ROADS INCLUDING...6 24 30 31 AND 33 WILL BE SNOW
COVERED AND HAZARDOUS. CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE TRAVEL PLANS...IF
POSSIBLE.

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

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...ALBION...
AUBURN...GARRETT...WINAMAC...FRANCESVILLE...MEDARYVILLE...
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...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

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST
WEDNESDAY...

HAZARDOUS WEATHER...

* SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND THIS EVENING.

* SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT.

* TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY OF 6 TO 10 INCHES
ARE EXPECTED.

* AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY.

IMPACTS...

* SNOW COVERED ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN OCCASIONAL
HEAVY SNOW WILL PRODUCE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS
BY TONIGHT.

* AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND HAZARDOUS WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE
IS EXPECTED.

* INCREASING NORTH WINDS OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WILL CAUSE
CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING...PRIMARILY ON EAST TO WEST
ROADS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING
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.


ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-STARKE-MARSHALL-ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-
HILLSDALE-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ELKHART...GOSHEN...NAPPANEE...
LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...SHIPSHEWANA...ANGOLA...FREMONT...KNOX...
NORTH JUDSON...BASS LAKE...PLYMOUTH...BREMEN...CULVER...STURGIS...
THREE RIVERS...WHITE PIGEON...MENDON...COLDWATER...BRONSON...
HILLSDALE...LITCHFIELD...JONESVILLE
330 PM EST TUE FEB 4 2014 /230 PM CST TUE FEB 4 2014/

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST /3 PM
CST/ WEDNESDAY...

HAZARDOUS WEATHER...

* SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

* SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT.

* TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.

* AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY.

IMPACTS...

* SNOW COVERED ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN OCCASIONAL
HEAVY SNOW WILL PRODUCE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS
BY TONIGHT.

* A VERY DIFFICULT AND HAZARDOUS WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE IS
EXPECTED.

* INCREASING NORTH WINDS OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WILL CAUSE
CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING...PRIMARILY ON EAST TO WEST
ROADS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING
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.

LA PORTE-ST. JOSEPH IN-BERRIEN-CASS MI-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...SOUTH BEND...
MISHAWAKA...NEW CARLISLE...WALKERTON...NILES...BENTON HARBOR...
ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS...MARCELLUS
330 PM EST TUE FEB 4 2014 /230 PM CST TUE FEB 4 2014/

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST /3 PM
CST/ WEDNESDAY...

HAZARDOUS WEATHER...

* SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

* TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.

* AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY.

IMPACTS...

* SNOW COVERED ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL PRODUCE
HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS BY TONIGHT.

* DIFFICULT WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE IS EXPECTED.

* INCREASING NORTH WINDS OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WILL CAUSE
CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING...PRIMARILY ON EAST TO WEST
ROADS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW
MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. TRAVEL
WILL BE ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT IN RURAL AND OPEN AREAS DUE TO
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND
LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

NWS tweet: Biggest problems overnight and Wednesday morning

Snow will affect portions of area during evening commute today but biggest impacts will be overnight into Weds AM commute.
— NWS Northern Indiana (@NWSIWX) February 4, 2014

Here are some winter wx driving tips if you must be out in the snow. If you can, stay home tonight/Weds AM! pic.twitter.com/Pdx2sIf10T
— NWS Northern Indiana (@NWSIWX) February 4, 2014