URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
309 PM EST THU FEB 4 2010

...HEAVY SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY..
CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-
FRANKLIN-PERRY-DAUPHIN-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER-
309 PM EST THU FEB 4 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM FRIDAY TO 6 PM EST SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM FRIDAY TO 6 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPING OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON WILL TRACK NORTHEAST TO THE OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA BY LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...BEFORE MOVING OUT OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN SATURDAY.

SNOW WILL MOVE INTO THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS DURING THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS FRIDAY...OVERSPREADING THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION BY NIGHTFALL. SNOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY OVER THE AREA SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

THE SNOW WILL TAPER TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS OVER MOST LOCATIONS BY MID DAY SATURDAY.

SNOWFALL TOTALS BY THE TIME THE STORM WINDS DOWN SATURDAY ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE IN THE 7 TO 10 INCH RANGE IN AREAS SUCH AS JOHNSTOWN...ALTOONA AND LEWISTOWN. AMOUNTS WILL BE HIGHER ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA...POSSIBLY EXCEEDING A FOOT OVER THE AREA FROM BEDFORD TO CHAMBERSBURG EAST TO COVER MUCH OF THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. AMOUNTS COULD APPROACH TWO FEET NEAR THE MARYLAND BORDER IN FRANKLIN...ADAMS...LANCASTER AND YORK COUNTIES.

THE EXACT TRACK OF THE STORM IS STILL UNCERTAIN. A SLIGHT JOG TO THE NORTH WOULD PUSH HEAVY SNOW FURTHER NORTH INTO THE STATE...PERHAPS CLOSER TO INTERSTATE 80.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SNOW IS FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...BLANKET AND A CELLULAR PHONE IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION FOR THE LATEST UPDATES.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT...WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE.