THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN QUAD CITIES HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT. THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

* TIMING… RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MID MORNING… THEN WILL CHANGE TO HEAVY WET SNOW. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON.

* SNOWFALL… SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING.

* WIND… LIGHT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL RAPIDLY INCREASE TO 30 TO 40 MPH BY MID MORNING WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 55 POSSIBLE FROM LATER MORNING THROUGH AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL REMAIN FROM 30 TO 35 MPH THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING… WITH GUST CONTINUING TO REACH 50 MPH AT TIMES.

* VISIBILITY… THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO ZERO… ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

* TEMPERATURE/WIND CHILL… TEMPERATURES WILL BE FALLING INTO THE 20S WITH WIND CHILLS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS THIS EVENING.

* IMPACTS… TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY ONCE RAIN CHANGES TO SNOW THIS MORNING. DUE TO INITIAL WARM PAVEMENT TEMPERATURES… ROADWAYS MAY BECOME ICY. IN ADDITION… VERY HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW WILL LEAD TO BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DURING THE LATE MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING. TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BECOME DANGEROUS… ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS THAT FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW… STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES OF ONE-QUARTER MILE OR LESS ARE OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. THIS WILL CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS… MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL! IF YOU MUST TRAVEL DUE TO AN EMERGENCY… TAKE YOUR WINTER SURVIVAL KIT. IF YOU GET STRANDED… STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE UNTIL HELP ARRIVES.