URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
317 PM EST MON JAN 27 2014
…WINTER STORM LIKELY FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA FROM NOON TUESDAY UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY…
.A VERY COLD AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES COMBINED WITH A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKING OFF THE COAST WILL BRING WIDESPREAD WINTRY PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
PRECIPITATION WILL BE MAINLY SNOW… BUT MIXED WITH A LITTLE SLEET IN THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST.
…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TUESDAY TO NOON EST WEDNESDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW …WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TUESDAY TO NOON EST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
- LOCATION…FOR THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA…ROUGHLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM LAURINBURG TO LILLINGTON TO SMITHFIELD TO TARBORO.
- ACCUMULATION…FIVE TO EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED… WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THE SNOW MAY BE MIXED WITH A LITTLE SLEET MAINLY FROM FAYETTEVILLE TO THE SOUTH AND EAST.
- TIMING…THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING… WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW LIKELY TO FALL BETWEEN 3 PM TUESDAY AND 3 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING.
- MAIN IMPACTS…SNOWFALL RATES OF AN INCH PER HOUR FOR SEVERAL CONSECUTIVE HOURS WILL QUICKLY COAT ROAD SURFACES. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY. THE SNOW WILL LIKELY IMPACT TRAVEL ON SUCH MAJOR ROUTES SUCH AS I-95…HIGHWAY 421…HIGHWAYS 64 AND 264… I-40 EAST OF RALEIGH… AND HIGHWAY 70.
- OTHER IMPACTS…RESIDUAL SNOWPACK AND ICE ON ROADS MAY IMPACT TRAVEL THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
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.