Thread: U.S. braces for monster blizzard. BIGGEST IN HISTORY?

Midwest braces for monster winter blizzard

By Mary Wisniewski
Jan 31, 2011 7:41pm EST

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Midwest braced for a massive and potentially dangerous winter storm on Monday with forecasts of up to 2 feet of snow and strong winds that could make travel virtually impossible.

The Rockies got an early blast from an ice storm that glazed the Denver metropolitan area on Monday, snarling traffic and forcing delays at Denver International Airport, followed by snowfall and plunging temperatures.
Denver's high for Tuesday was forecast at 1 degree below zero Fahrenheit, with a low of minus 17 degrees and wind-chill values at 30 below predicted for overnight Tuesday.

But the nation's midsection was expected to bear the brunt of the latest winter storm.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning and hazardous weather outlook for the Chicago area, calling for frigid temperatures, wind gusts as high as 50 miles per hour and heavy snow on Tuesday.
The storm could be the biggest since a 1967 blizzard paralyzed the city, Chicago officials said.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn issued a state disaster declaration on Monday ahead of the storm, and at least two other states, Oklahoma and Missouri, declared emergencies in advance.
In Kansas, where icy roads were blamed for one traffic death on Monday and numerous other accidents, the governor said state offices would be closed on Tuesday due to weather.
Officials were making similar preparations as far East as Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Office of Personnel Management urged federal employees to consider working from home on Tuesday and Wednesday.
United and Continental Airlines were allowing travelers affected by the weather in the Midwest and Northeast to change flights without fees from January 31 through February 3.
The weather system was expected to bring ice storms Monday night through early Wednesday to a region stretching from the Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas across the Midwest and Ohio Valley and into New York, according to weather.com.
Snow and fierce winds were forecast to hit the southern Plains on Monday night and push northward into the Great Lakes on Tuesday.
In the South, severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts will race eastward from eastern Texas to Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, according to weather.com.
"When everything is said and done, the storm may well impact a third of the population of the United States; approximately 100 million people," meteorologist Tim Ballisty wrote on weather.com.
Officials urged residents to stock up on food and medicine in advance of the storm in Chicago, which faced the possibility of flooding from 25-foot waves expected on Lake Michigan.
Chicago snowfall totals of over 18 inches are possible Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon, especially near Lake Michigan, according to the National Weather Service, and city officials cited forecasts of as much as 2 feet. The Weather Service called the storm "dangerous, multifaceted and potentially life-threatening."
"Conditions will rapidly deteriorate from north to south across the region Tuesday afternoon with travel likely becoming virtually impossible at times Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning," the Weather Service warned.
The city of Chicago planned to deploy its entire fleet of 274 snow plows and to fit garbage trucks with extra plows.
In Kansas Monday afternoon, icy roads were cited as a factor in numerous car accidents, including one in which a 61-year-old woman died when she lost control of her vehicle near the town of Kensington, the highway patrol said.
An Arctic air mass moving into the Rockies was expected to push wind chills to 20 below zero and lower across central and eastern Idaho Monday night and Tuesday.
Ranching communities in the Upper Snake River Plain and Snake Highlands on the Montana border braced for wind chills of 45 degrees below zero. The National Weather Service advises that livestock could be exposed to life-threatening conditions if left outside. That region has large cattle operations.
(Writing by Mary Wisniewski; Additional reporting by Laura Zuckerman, Keith Coffman and Kevin Murphy, Editing by Steve Gorman

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/ ... NP20110201

San Diego 92101

Tomorrow - Sunny - High: 66° - Low: 48°

we here in dallas are getting the lower edge of the storm starting about midnite and going all day tuesday.

its 52 as i type this out and its only going down hill.
20s by noon and teens by 6PM Tuesday evening.
25-35 MPH Winds Tomorrow with gusts to 50.
Not Above Freezing till Saturday.

Last I looked this afternoon it was about 13 and wind blowing. Cold mother.
Seems to be more wind blowing than snow, I guess is the lesser of the 2 evils.
Is it spring yet??
Cold enough to freeze the brass toes off a billy goat.

Miami tomorrow sunny and cloudy 78 and low of 62. Wednesday sunny and cloudy 79 and low of 63.
Toronto is to get a 8 to 12 inches of snow tomorrow night and record lows so I am glad I no longer live there.

C.B.S. Evening news said this may be the biggest storm in U.S. history.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

C.B.S. Evening news said this may be the biggest storm in U.S. history.

It definitely going to be real bad. I was listening to the Weather Channel and it sounds really bad. They were saying it was an ice storm in some areas and FEMA is on standby.

As Major Winter Storm Approaches, FEMA Urges Residents To Be Prepared


Storm Could Impact 100 Million Americans; Families Should Visit Ready.gov for Tips on how to Prepare

Release Date: January 31, 2011
Release Number: HQ-11-05

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With a major winter storm approaching the Midwest today and expected to impact many states throughout the week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is urging all residents in the areas that could be impacted to get prepared. Starting this weekend, FEMA has been closely monitoring the storm, which forecasters expect to bring heavy snow and ice to the Midwest and as far south as Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas early this week, and to the Northeast later in the week. Families and individuals can visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov for tips on how to prepare for snowstorms, dangerous driving conditions and other types of winter emergencies.

"A storm of this size and scope needs to be taken seriously," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "As we continue to do our part to watch the storm and work closely with our state and local partners as they get ready, it's critical that the public does its part to get ready. Already this winter we've seen how snow and ice can knock out power and affect transportation. If you haven't already, take steps now to get your homes and families ready, and be sure to check on your neighbors, especially the elderly and young children - those who can be most vulnerable during emergencies."

Through its regional offices in Kansas City, Mo.; Denton, Texas; Chicago; Atlanta; Philadelphia; New York City and Boston, FEMA is closely coordinating with state and local officials in the affected areas. There have not been any requests for federal assistance yet, but FEMA stands ready to assist state and local emergency response efforts if needed.

At the request of the state of Oklahoma, FEMA has deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) to the state, in order to help with coordination, should emergency response assistance be needed. In addition, FEMA liaison officers have been deployed to Kansas, Missouri, and Indiana, at the request of the respective states, to help coordinate if additional support is needed. FEMA has also pre-positioned emergency commodities, including water, generators, meals, cots and blankets across the United States should they be needed to support state and local emergency response operations.

The storm's first impact, in the Midwest, could include heavy snow, destructive ice, tornadoes and bitter cold. The storm is expected to move to the Northeast later this week. The National Weather Service remains the source for official severe weather information, and FEMA encourages all individuals in the region to listen to a NOAA Weather Radio and their local news to monitor for severe weather updates, and to follow the directions provided by their local officials.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Last Modified: Monday, 31-Jan-2011 15:01:12
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http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=53639

It's a balmy 14 degrees here in SE Michigan. I'm not sure how hard we are going to get walloped, but luckily my sister got my necessities! I'm SO NOT looking forward to this! We have three seasons up here anyway: lawn mowing, leaf blowing, and snow blowing!!!

Snow for sale:

$100.00 PER SQ. FT.
While supplies last...............

Cash and carry!