STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 1 FOR NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS BLIZZARD
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
830 PM CST SAT DEC 13 2008

...WIDE-SPREAD LIFE-THREATENING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DEVELOPING
OVER THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS...

BLIZZARD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FROM CENTRAL MONTANA ACROSS MUCH
OF NORTH AND SOUTH DAKOTA...NORTHERN NEBRASKA INTO WESTERN
MINNESOTA. SURROUNDING THIS AREA ARE NUMEROUS WINTER STORM
WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES.

FOR A DETAILED GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THE LATEST WATCHES AND
WARNINGS...PLEASE VISIT WWW.WEATHER.GOV.

AT 800 PM CST...A 986 MB LOW PRESSURE CENTER WAS LOCATED BETWEEN
OGALALLA AND SIDNEY...NEBRASKA. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER
RADARS SHOWED AN EXPANDING AREA OF SNOW OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS.
ALONG WITH THE SNOW...WINDS WERE BLOWING AT 20 TO 30 MPH...WITH
GUSTS TO AT LEAST 50 MPH IN A FEW SPOTS. TEMPERATURES WERE FALLING
AS ARCTIC AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION. SOME AREAS ARE ALREADY
EXPERIENCING BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURES AND WILL REMAIN BELOW ZERO
FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

THE COMBINATION OF EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES...STRONG WINDS AND
SNOW WILL PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS INTO
MONDAY. WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO MINUS 20
TO 40 DEGREES...WHILE BLOWING SNOW REDUCES VISIBILITIES TO NEAR
ZERO IN SOME AREAS. VENTURING OUTSIDE WILL BECOME VERY
DANGEROUS...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

THE STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE CENTRAL
PLAINS TO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES BY MONDAY MORNING. THE COMBINATION
OF THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE DROPPING
SOUTH FROM WESTERN CANADA WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EXTREME
COLD...HEAVY SNOW...STRONG WINDS AND WIDE-SPREAD LIFE THREATENING
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.


...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 700 AM CST SAT DEC
13 THROUGH 830 PM CST SAT DEC 13...

...MONTANA...
NOXON 4 NW                          14.0
ALBERTON 4 ENE                      10.5
LIBBY 2 W                            8.0
CHINOOK                              8.0
CHESTER                              8.0
NEIHART 7 S                          8.0
CHOTEAU 20 W                         6.0

...WYOMING...
AFTON 8 NE                          13.0
LANDER 19 SSW                       10.0
ATLANTIC CITY 7 NW                  10.0
DUBOIS 25 NW                        10.0
JACKSON 8 WNW                        8.0
KEMMERER 36 N                        8.0
BONDURANT 14 E                       8.0
MORAN JUNCTION 25 NE                 8.0
PINDALE 12 NNE                       7.0
GUNSIGHT PASS                        7.0

...NORTH DAKOTA...
LANSFORD                             2.0
MINOT                                2.0


...SELECTED WIND GUSTS IN MPH FROM 700 AM CST SAT DEC 13 THROUGH
830 PM CST SAT DEC 13...

...MONTANA...
BOULDER 15 S                         70
SIMMS                                60
HELENA 10 NW                         50

...WYOMING...
WHEATLAND 27 WSW                     74
PUMPKIN VINE                         60


THE COVERAGE OF SNOW WILL EXPAND AND BECOME HEAVIER
TONIGHT...WHILE WINDS INCREASE AND COLD ARCTIC AIR POURS INTO THE
REGION. LIFE-THREATENING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO
EXPAND ACROSS THE REGION AND PERSIST INTO MONDAY. SNOWFALL TOTALS
OVER ONE FOOT ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE STRONG WINDS WILL
SUPPORT SEVERE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE HEAVY SNOW WITH
VISIBILITIES NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.

THE NEXT SUMMARY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER AT 400 AM CST SUNDAY. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS
EVENT.

ECKERT