Winter

The following information explains why I'm sitting in my living room at 8:45 a.m. on a Thursday, instead of sitting in front of my computer at work:

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST FRIDAY.

* TIMING: SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER NORTH CENTRAL [state] THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. SNOW WILL TAPER TO FLURRIES ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA TONIGHT.

* ACCUMULATIONS: STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 9 TO 11 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN [state] ... BY FRIDAY MORNING.

* HAZARDS: STEADY SNOWFALL TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT WILL RESULT IN ROADS BECOMING SNOW COVERED AND SLICK. NORTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY EVENING, CAUSING WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW, WHICH WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO ONE HALF MILE OR LESS.

* IMPACTS: TRAVEL ACROSS NORTHERN [state] ... IS EXPECTED TO BECOME HAZARDOUS. THE THURSDAY MORNING, THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AND FRIDAY MORNING RUSH HOURS WILL BE IMPACTED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS : A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW IS ISSUED WHEN 6 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW IS FORECAST TO OCCUR. THE HEAVY SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL, KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT, FOOD, AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

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More Information

HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY NIGHT

AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE MIDWEST TODAY. SNOW HAS OVERSPREAD NORTHERN [state] ... AND MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES AS THE STORM CENTER PASSES JUST SOUTH OF [Big City to our East] THIS AFTERNOON. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL THEN DEVELOP OVER THE REGION, INCLUDING [The Big Water]. THIS IS EXPECTED TO ENHANCE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN THE VICINITY OF [The Big Water]. BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT, THE SNOWFALL WILL BEGIN TO WIND DOWN OVER MUCH OF THE AREA, BUT [water] EFFECT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS FAR NORTHEAST [state] AND SLOWLY SHIFT INTO [the next state to our east] FRIDAY. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE QUITE DRY AND FLUFFY. AS NORTHERLY WINDS INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY EVENING, BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL OCCUR, WHICH WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO ONE HALF MILE OR LESS. COLD AIR WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY WITH WIND CHILLS 15 BELOW TO 20 BELOW ZERO POSSIBLE BY SATURDAY MORNING.

I could get to work with just a little extra time and care, but I'm not at all sure I'd ever get home today.

So, instead, we'll be taking down Christmas decorations. It all works out.