Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Stoddard County, Missouri - The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for our area beginning tonight.
.... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* TIMING: A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH DAYBREAK SUNDAY. THE TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW WILL HAPPEN QUICKLY OVERNIGHT IN AREAS NORTH OF A LINE FROM VAN BUREN MISSOURI TO MARION AND MT CARMEL ILLINOIS. THE TRANSITION TO SNOW WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL COME TO A RAPID END FROM WEST TO EAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
* AMOUNTS: AREAS NORTH OF A LINE FROM VAN BUREN MISSOURI TO MARION AND MT CARMEL ILLINOIS WILL SEE 1 TO 3 INCHES BY DAYBREAK SUNDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS WILL RANGE FROM 5 TO 10 INCHES. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS CAN BE EXPECTED.
* IMPACTS: TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BRING EXTREMELY COLD AIR INTO THE REGION SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL BELOW ZERO OVER MUCH OF THE AREA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND REMAIN BELOW ZERO THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY AND INTO TUESDAY MORNING. WIND CHILL READINGS WILL RANGE FROM 10 BELOW TO 30 BELOW ZERO. SLICK ROAD CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. ANY TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITY IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED DUE TO THESE DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS.
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.