THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER

CAMP SPRINGS, MD


STORM SUMMARY MESSAGE



STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 03 FOR NORTHERN PLAINS BLIZZARD
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD 
400 AM CDT TUE MAR 24 2009
 
...EARLY SPRING BLIZZARD AFFECTING THE NORTHERN PLAINS...
 
BLIZZARD WARNINGS ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FROM EASTERN WYOMING AND
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN MONTANA...EASTWARD THROUGH CENTRAL TO WESTERN
SOUTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWESTERN NEBRASKA... WINTER STORM WARNINGS
ARE IN EFFECT ACROSS THE COLORADO ROCKIES...NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL
WYOMING.   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS.
 
FOR A DETAILED GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THE LATEST
WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...PLEASE SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV

AT 400 AM CDT...A 988 MB LOW PRESSURE CENTER WAS LOCATED IN
CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADARS AND
SURFACE OBSERVATIONS SHOWED THAT SNOW WAS CONTINUING TO FALL OVER
THE WESTERN HALVES OF NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH DAKOTA...AND
NEBRASKA...INTO THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF
MONTANA...EASTERN WYOMING...AND NORTHEASTERN COLORADO.  A LINE OF
STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHES FROM SOUTHWESTERN
OKLAHOMA NORTHEASTWARD INTO MISSOURI AND CENTRAL IOWA.  FURTHER
NORTH AND EAST...A LINE OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN IS BEING
REPORTED FROM THE ARROWHEAD OF MINNESOTA SOUTHWARD INTO WISCONSIN
AND ILLINOIS.

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 600 AM CDT MON MAR
23 THROUGH 400 AM CDT TUE MAR 24...

...NORTH DAKOTA...
VALLEY CITY                          10.0                     
MAYVILLE                              9.0                     
ASHLEY                                8.0                     
LINTON 5 NW                           8.0                     
FORT YATES                            7.0                     
STARK                                 6.5                     
JAMESTOWN                             6.0                     
GRAND FORKS                           5.0                     
FARGO                                 3.6                     
MARMARTH                              3.5                     
HAZELTON 4 NW                         3.4                     
STREETER 7 NW                         3.0                     

...NEBRASKA...
CHADRON                               8.0                     
ALLIANCE                              4.0                     
SCOTTSBLUFF                           2.0                     

...SOUTH DAKOTA...
DEADWOOD                             16.5                     
LEAD                                 13.5                     
ROCKYPOINT                            8.0                     
SPOTTED HORSE                         8.0                     
BEULAH                                7.0                     
CAMP CROOK                            7.0                     
SPEARFISH                             6.0                     

...WYOMING...
BILL                                 10.0                     
GLENROCK                             10.0                     
DOUGLAS                               8.0                     
HARTVILLE                             6.0                     
LANCE CREEK                           6.0                     
LUSK                                  6.0                     

...SELECTED PEAK WIND GUSTS IN MILE PER HOUR EARLIER IN THE
EVENT...

...NEBRASKA...
GORDON 7 E                              60                     

...SOUTH DAKOTA...
RAPID CITY                              80                     
ELLSWORTH_AFB                           77                     

...WYOMING...
CONVERSE CO. ARPT                       86                     


THE STRONG LOW OVER SOUTH DAKOTA IS EXPECTED TO TRAVEL
NORTHEASTWARD...MOVING INTO WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA BY TUESDAY
EVENING.  THIS LOW WILL CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEASTWARD TUESDAY
NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING ALONG THE MINNESOTA-WISCONSIN BORDER.
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT
FROM EASTERN WYOMING...NORTHERN NEBRASKA...INTO THE MAJORITY OF
SOUTH DAKOTA...INTO NORTH DAKOTA.  WIDESPREAD ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL
TOTALS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THESE AREAS...WITH
ISOLATED TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 2 TO 3 FEET IN THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH
DAKOTA.  IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY SNOW...30 TO 60 MPH WINDS WILL
RESULT IN NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY...CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING
OF SNOW AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF POWER OUTAGES.  TRAVEL WILL BE
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT FROM THE MIDDLE
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY SOUTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND THE
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.

THE NEXT STORM SUMMARY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER AT 1000 AM CDT. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS
EVENT.

SCHULZE




Last Updated: 610 AM EDT TUE MAR 24 2009