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URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1127 AM CST WED JAN 14 2009

...LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND SET UP OVER FAR SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN TODAY...

...DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...

A LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND SET UP ALONG THE LONG AXIS OF LAKE MICHIGAN THIS MORNING. A PORTION OF THAT BAND WILL PRODUCE HEAVY SNOW NEAR THE LAKE SHORE BETWEEN WIND POINT AND KENOSHA HARBOR.

ALTHOUGH FRIGID AIR IS ALREADY IN PLACE ACROSS WISCONSIN...A REINFORCING SURGE OF ARCTIC AIR IS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH THE BITTER COLD CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY.

Today's Cold Coverage: • Dangerous Wind Chills Coming • Temperature, Wind Chill Forecasts • Details on Wind Chill Advisory • What Is Wind Chill? • Suggestions for Indoor Family Activities WTMJ Storm Team 4 Coverage: • Closings • Time Saver Traffic • Live Radar • Sign up for School Closing Text Alerts • National Weather Service • Check Your Flight • Milw Parking • Pothole Tracker • Share Photos and Video with YourStory

THE CENTER OF THE COLD HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE DAKOTAS TONIGHT...IOWA ON THURSDAY...AND MISSOURI THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE REACHING

MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MONTELLO...BERLIN...FOND DU LAC...SHEBOYGAN...BARABOO...PORTAGE...WISCONSIN DELLS...BEAVER DAM...WEST BEND...PORT WASHINGTON...DODGEVILLE...MADISON...JEFFERSON...LAKE MILLS...WAUKESHA...BROOKFIELD...MILWAUKEE...DARLINGTON...MONROE...JANESVILLE...BELOIT...ELKHORN...LAKE GENEVA

A WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO12 PM CST FRIDAY.

AN ARCTIC HIGH WILL PUSH INTO THE DAKOTAS TONIGHT...SENDING VERY COLD AIR SOUTH INTO THE GREAT LAKES. THIS COLD AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.

AIR TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT ARE THE COLDEST OBSERVED OVER SOUTHERN WISCONSIN IN 13 YEARS.

LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO AROUND 18 BELOW ZERO OVER SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...AND AROUND 13 BELOW NEAR THE LAKE.

GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 10 TO 20 MPH WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES OF 30 TO 40 BELOW.

HIGH TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY WILL STRUGGLE TO EVEN REACH ZERO DEGREES...DESPITE SUNSHINE. CONTINUED GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILL VALUES OF 25 TO 30 BELOW THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DAY.

HIGH PRESSURE WILL SINK SOUTH INTO MISSOURI FOR THURSDAY NIGHT. CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHTER WINDS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO PLUMMET INTO THE 20S BELOW MOST PLACES...EXCEPT TEENS BELOW NEAR THE LAKE. WIND CHILLS WILL AGAIN RANGE FROM 30 BELOW TO 40 BELOW.

AIR TEMPERATURES WILL FINALLY RISE ABOVE ZERO LATE FRIDAY MORNING AS WARMER AIR SURGES NORTH...ENDING THE DANGEROUS COLD WAVE.

A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR TEMPERATURES AND WIND WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES OF 35 DEGREES BELOW ZERO OR COLDER FOR 3 HOURS OR LONGER.

THESE CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN FROSTBITE...AND COULD LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH...IF PROPER PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS...WEAR SEVERAL LAYERS OF CLOTHING AND COVER ALL EXPOSED SKIN. FROSTBITE CAN OCCUR IN AS LITTLE AS 10 MINUTES. IF CLOTHES BECOME WET...THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BE CHANGED FOR DRY ONES.

A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF LAKE- EFFECT SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

LAKE-EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS TYPICALLY ALIGN THEMSELVES IN BANDS AND WILL LIKELY BE INTENSE ENOUGH TO DROP 1 TO SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW PER HOUR FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

VISIBILITIES VARY GREATLY AND CAN DROP TO ZERO WITHIN MINUTES.  TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED. COMMERCE COULD BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

Delivered by DTN Meteorlogix WED Jan 14 2009 11:28AM EDT