STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 1 FOR CENTRAL ROCKIES TO GREAT LAKES WINTER
STORM
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
320 PM CST WED FEB 15 2005

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

AT 3 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 NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA...A SECOND LOW NEAR THE
UTAH/COLORADO BORDER AND A THIRD OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA. THE
UTAH/COLORADO LOW IS EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY TONIGHT AND MOVE INTO
THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS AND BECOME THE DOMINATE LOW ALONG THE
FRONT...THEN LIFT NORTHEAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES ON THURSDAY.

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 LATER TONIGHT SNOW WILL BEING 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 AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN. WINTER STORM WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT
FROM EAST-CENTRAL NEBRASKA ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA INTO NORTHWEST
ILLINOIS AND MUCH OF 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 WIND THAT WILL CREATE WIND CHILL
TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO. ALSO...THE STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE
SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW THAT WILL CREATE
DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS IN THE AFFECTED AREAS.

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 300 PM CST WEDNESDAY...

UTAH...

TONY GROVE LAKE...........................13.0
MONTE CRISTO PASS.........................12.0
WELLSVILLE................................10.0


WYOMING...

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


SOUTH DAKOTA...

EDGEMONT...................................3.0
OELRICHS...................................1.0


NEBRASKA...

MULLEN.....................................7.0
ELLSWORTH..................................5.0
ASHBY......................................5.0
WHITMAN....................................5.0

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER AT 9 PM CST. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR DETAILS ON THIS SYSTEM...INCLUDING
WATCHES...ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS.

ECKERT