STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 2 FOR CENTRAL ROCKIES TO GREAT LAKES WINTER
STORM
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
900 PM CST WED FEB 15 2005

...WINTER STORM RAMPING UP OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES THIS EVENING
WILL GAIN STRENGTH AND MOVE THROUGH THE PLAINS AND INTO THE GREAT
LAKES THURSDAY...

AT 9 PM CST THE SURFACE WEATHER MAP SHOWED A WAVY FRONTAL BOUNDARY
FROM THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...CENTRAL
ROCKIES AND GREAT BASIN. SEVERAL AREAS OF LOW PRESSURE WERE ALONG
THE FRONT. ONE OVER SOUTHWEST MISSOURI...A SECOND LOW IN CENTRAL
COLORADO AND A THIRD EAST OF LAS VEGAS. THE COLORADO LOW IS
EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY TONIGHT AND MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN HIGH
PLAINS AND BECOME THE DOMINANT LOW ALONG THE FRONT...THEN LIFT
NORTHEAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES ON THURSDAY. AS THIS HAPPENS...A
VERY COLD CANADIAN AIRMASS WILL SURGE SOUTH INTO THE CENTRAL U.S..

THIS LOW IS ALREADY SUPPORTING HEAVY SNOWS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINOUS
AREAS OF THE GREAT BASIN INTO THE ROCKIES AND PLAINS OF WYOMING
AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH DAKOTA AND NEBRASKA. AS THE LOW MOVES INTO
THE PLAINS SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND
INTENSITY FROM THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS INTO THE MIDWEST AND GREAT
LAKES.

WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FROM UTAH THROUGH
WYOMING...SOUTHERN SOUTH DAKOTA...NORTHERN NEBRASKA...NORTHERN
IOWA...SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...MOST OF WISCONSIN AND MOST OF
MICHIGAN. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FROM SOUTHERN
NEBRASKA AND NORTHEAST KANSAS ACROSS SOUTHERN IOWA...NORTHERN
ILLINOIS INTO EXTREME SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN.

THIS SYSTEM HAS ALREADY PRODUCED OVER A FOOT OF SNOW IN SOME AREAS
OF WYOMING AND UTAH.

OF PARTICULAR CONCERN WITH THIS STORM WILL BE THE COMBINATION OF
VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND STRONG WINDS THAT WILL CREATE WIND
CHILL TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW ZERO. ALSO...THE STRONG WINDS WILL
CREATE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THAT WILL CREATE
DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY IN THE
AFFECTED AREAS.

TRAVELERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE SEVERE WINTER WEATHER AND
CARRY THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN THE VEHICLE. BLANKETS AND/OR SLEEPING
BAGS...NON-PERISHABLE FOOD...WATER...FLASH LIGHT WITH EXTRA
BATTERIES...CANDLES AND MATCHES...BATTERY OPERATED RADIO...CELL
PHONE...SHOVEL AND A FIRST AID KIT.

ADDITIONAL SNOW THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE
4 TO 8 INCH RANGE ACROSS WYOMING INTO THE PLAINS...THEN AMOUNTS
WILL INCREASE ON THURSDAY INTO THE GREAT LAKES WHERE 6 TO 12 INCH
TOTALS ARE POSSIBLE.


...SNOW TOTALS IN INCHES THROUGH 900 PM CST WEDNESDAY...

UTAH...

TONY GROVE LAKE...........................14.0
MONTE CRISTO PASS.........................12.0
WELLSVILLE................................10.0
TEMPLE FORK...............................10.0
MANTUA.....................................9.0
EDEN.......................................8.0


COLORADO...

GOTHIC.....................................6.5
MEREDITH...................................5.0


WYOMING...

CARBON....................................16.0
WHEATLAND.................................11.0
CHUGWATER.................................10.0
GOSHEN....................................10.0
RAWLINS....................................8.0


SOUTH DAKOTA...

SPEARFISH..................................7.0
GALENA.....................................6.5
LEAD.......................................5.0
EDGEMONT...................................4.0
WRIGHT.....................................3.0
OELRICHS...................................3.0


NEBRASKA...

ELLSWORTH.................................10.0
WHITMAN....................................8.0
MULLEN.....................................7.0
HYANNIS....................................6.0


THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER AT 3 AM CST. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR DETAILS ON THIS SYSTEM...INCLUDING
WATCHES...ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS.

ECKERT