BLIZZARD WARNING
Warning Issue Date: 1011 PM EST SAT DEC 19 2009
...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST SUNDAY...
A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST SUNDAY.
THIS BLIZZARD WARNING IN FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND...
SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS INCLUDING THE CAPE AND ISLANDS.
SNOW HAS ALREADY OVER SPREAD THE SOUTH COAST THROUGH 930 PM AND
HAS QUICKLY BECOME HEAVY. ALREADY RECEIVING SNOWFALL RATES
EXCEEDING 1 INCH PER HOUR IN SOME LOCATIONS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL
OVER SPREAD THE REST OF THE REGION THROUGH 11 PM AND BECOME HEAVY
BY MIDNIGHT.
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THESE AREAS FOR A TIME
OVERNIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY WITH HEAVY SNOW AND FREQUENT WIND
GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH PRODUCING WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. DAMAGING
WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ON THE CAPE AND ISLANDS.
THE WORST OF THE SNOW AND WIND WILL LIKELY OCCUR BETWEEN MIDNIGHT
AND 8 AM. SNOWFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE IN
THE HEAVIER BANDS. IN ADDITION...ISOLATED REPORTS OF THUNDER SNOW
ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR OVERNIGHT. ISOLATED SNOWFALL RATES COULD
LOCALLY EXCEED 3 INCHES PER HOUR IN ANY THUNDERSTORM.
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 12 TO 16 INCHES ARE FORECAST
ACROSS ALL OF RHODE ISLAND...SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS...AND THE
UPPER CAPE. AN ISOLATED AMOUNT UP TO 18 INCHES IS POSSIBLE. NEAR
10 INCHES IS FORECAST FOR MARTHAS VINEYARD. ON THE OUTER CAPE AND
NANTUCKET... A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
STORM WILL BECOME ALL SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT BUT THIS MAY REDUCE
SNOW TOTALS TO PERHAPS ONLY 6 INCHES THERE. BLOWING AND DRIFTING
SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. SCATTERED
POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.
IN ADDITION...THE SNOW THAT FALLS ON THE CAPE AND ISLANDS WILL BE
QUITE WET. THIS COULD LEAD TO SOME TREE DAMAGE ALONG WITH POWER
OUTAGES.
THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL PULL AWAY SUNDAY MORNING BUT STEADY SNOW
WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO EARLY AFTERNOON BEFORE ENDING LATER
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
TRAVEL WILL BECOME DANGEROUS AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED OVERNIGHT AND
SUNDAY MORNING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS OR FREQUENT
GUSTS OVER 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED ALONG WITH CONSIDERABLE FALLING
AND/OR BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO BELOW
ONE QUARTER MILE FOR AT LEAST THREE CONSECUTIVE HOURS. WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. THOSE VENTURING OUTDOORS MAY BECOME LOST
OR DISORIENTED...SO PERSONS IN THE WARNING AREA ARE ADVISED TO
STAY INDOORS. ALSO...BE SURE TO CHECK ALL EXTERNAL VENTS ON YOUR
HOUSE BECAUSE THEY CAN LEAD TO A CARBON MONOXIDE RISK IF BLOCKED
BY SNOW DRIFTS.
$$
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