BLIZZARD WARNING

I've been waiting to hear that the storm is going to track more to the south, sparing Wisconsin.

Still waiting.

From the National Weather Service:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
509 AM CST TUE FEB 1 2011

...BLIZZARD TAKING AIM AT SOUTHERN WISCONSIN TONIGHT...

.A BLIZZARD WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FOND DU LAC TO MADISON TO DODGEVILLE. HEAVY SNOW...AND SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW FROM WIND GUSTS TO 40 TO 50 MPH...WILL CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS FOR ANYONE OUTDOORS OR TRAVELING...ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS. WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THE BLIZZARD WILL RANGE FROM 5 ABOVE ZERO TO 5 BELOW ZERO.

LOW PRESSURE AND AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER TEXAS THIS MORNING WILL INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES INTO INDIANA AND OHIO TONIGHT. A LARGE SWATH OF HEAVY SNOW AND HIGH WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER ILLINOIS...MICHIGAN AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. THIS STORM IS SIMILAR TO THE EARLY JANUARY 1999 BLIZZARD...WHICH PRODUCED 14 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN WITH 4 TO 8 FOOT DRIFTS EAST OF A LINE FROM FOND DU LAC TO JANESVILLE. THIS BLIZZARD WILL BE CAPABLE OF PARALYZING PARTS OF SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

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UPDATE:

The storm remains on track to hit us. It's not going to dive to the south.

Wonderful.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
315 PM CST TUE FEB 1 2011

...BLIZZARD MOVING INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN...

.A BLIZZARD WILL CONTINUE MOVING INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. HEAVY SNOW...SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW FROM WIND GUSTS TO 40 TO 50 MPH...WILL CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS FOR ANYONE OUTDOORS OR TRAVELING... ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS. WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THE BLIZZARD WILL RANGE FROM 5 ABOVE ZERO TO 5 BELOW ZERO.

INTENSIFYING LOW PRESSURE IN WESTERN TENNESSEE WILL MOVE NORTHEAST INTO INDIANA AND OHIO TONIGHT. A LARGE SWATH OF HEAVY SNOW AND HIGH WINDS WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THIS STORM IS SIMILAR TO THE EARLY JANUARY 1999 BLIZZARD...WHICH PRODUCED 14 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN.

WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-RACINE-KENOSHA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WEST BEND...PORT WASHINGTON... WAUKESHA...BROOKFIELD...MILWAUKEE...RACINE...KENOSHA
315 PM CST TUE FEB 1 2011

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST WEDNESDAY...
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS EXPIRED...

THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST WEDNESDAY.

* TIMING...HEAVY SNOW WILL DEVELOP EARLY THIS EVENING AS STRONG LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...10 TO 18 INCHES OF NEW SNOW WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS FROM MILWAUKEE SOUTH TO KENOSHA.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH WITH WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH FOR TONIGHT.

* IMPACTS...REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS AT TIMES DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...RESULTING IN TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. TRAVEL TO BECOME DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

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UPDATE, from Gov. Scott Walker:

I'm declaring a state of emergency in 29 counties in southern & SE WI. State buildings will b closed 2 public in those counties on 2/2/11.