WINTER STORM WARNING: NiagaraIssued at 11:46 PM EST THURSDAY 18 DECEMBER 2008
SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW EXPECTED ON FRIDAY. THIS IS A WARNING THAT DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING IN THESE REGIONS. MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS..LISTEN FOR UPDATED STATEMENTS.
WITH THE FIRST 10 CM SNOWFALL NOW FADING INTO MEMORY..THE SECOND IN A FASCINATING SERIES OF SIGNIFICANT SNOWSTORMS IS BEARING DOWN ON SOUTHERN ONTARIO FROM COLORADO. THE COLORADO LOW HAS FORMED AS EXPECTED AND IS STARTING TO FOLLOW A PATH THAT WILL TRACK IT OVER OHIO INTO PENNSYLVANIA ON FRIDAY. A RAPIDLY EXPANDING AREA OF SNOW IS SHOWING UP ON THE CHARTS OVER THE AMERICAN MIDWEST AND PLAINS STATES..WITH FREEZING RAIN AND THEN RAIN FURTHER SOUTH. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE WINDSOR AREA TOWARDS 5 AM TOMORROW MORNING THEN RAPIDLY RACE NORTHEAST TO REACH THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE AREA DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE AND THEN INTO EASTERN ONTARIO BY NOON. THE SNOW WILL BECOME QUITE HEAVY AT TIMES AS THE LOW GETS CLOSER. LATEST INDICATIONS KEEP ANY RISK OF A CHANGEOVER TO ICE PELLETS OR FREEZING RAIN IN ESSEX AND KENT COUNTIES FROM WINDSOR TO CHATHAM AND SOUTH TO LAKE ERIE. OTHERWISE ONLY SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR EVERYONE ELSE. A GENERAL SNOWFALL OF 15 TO 20 CENTIMETERS IS LIKELY ACROSS THE DISTRICT BY FRIDAY EVENING. AREAS AROUND THE WEST END OF LAKE ONTARIO FROM DOWNTOWN TORONTO THROUGH MISSISSAUGA TO HAMILTON AND EVENTUALLY NIAGARA WILL GET SOME HELP IN THE COLD NORTHEASTERLY WINDS OFF OF LAKE ONTARIO BOOSTING SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO NEAR 25 CM IN QUITE A FEW LOCALES. IT IS NOT ENTIRELY OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR ONE OR TWO LOCALES TO GET UP TO 30 CM SHOULD AN EMBEDDED LAKE EFFECT SNOW SQUALL DEVELOP OVER LAKE ONTARIO FRIDAY AS SUGGESTED BY SOME OF THE COMPUTER MODELS. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS FROM BLOWING SNOW CAUSED BY STRONG EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS OF 40 GUSTING TO 60 KM/H WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH THIS WINTER STORM ADDING TO ITS NASTY WHITE BITE. THE FRIDAY MORNING RUSH HOUR IN AND AROUND THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE MAY NOT BE QUITE AS BAD AS EARLIER THOUGHT AS THE SNOW'S ARRIVAL MAY BE DELAYED BY AN HOUR OR TWO. THE ONLY CAVEAT IS THAT A LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND MAY GIVE SOME FLURRIES INITIALLY OVERNIGHT INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS JUST BEFORE THE MAIN SNOW AREA ARRIVES. HOWEVER..HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY WILL LIKELY MAKE THE AFTERNOON COMMUTE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT AND SLOW. TRAVELERS SHOULD ADJUST TRAVEL PLANS ACCORDINGLY. IF TRAVEL IS NECESSARY ONE SHOULD PLAN FOR MUCH EXTRA TIME TO REACH THE PLANNED DESTINATION. DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE QUICKLY AND BECOME DANGEROUS DUE TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS FROM BOTH BLOWING SNOW AND HEAVY SNOW.
