Winter Storm Warning – Snow Alert [UPDATE]

A Winter Storm Warning continues for the Sioux Empire. Snow, wind and cold are the main concerns.The winds are expected to pick up and temputures will drop as the snow ends Wednesday.Travel will continue to be difficult. Call 511 for road conditions or go to Safetravel.com.

The City of Sioux Falls has issued a Snow Alert: Plowing of Emergency Snow Routes began earlier today and will continue until routes are clear. All vehicles parked on Emergency Snow Routes are subject to immediate ticketing and towing.

For more info about this system, watch this update from our friends at the Sioux Falls office of the National Weather Service.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1024 AM CST WED DEC 4 2013

ROCK-MCCOOK-MINNEHAHA-TURNER-LINCOLN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LUVERNE...SALEM...CANISTOTA...
BRIDGEWATER...MONTROSE...SIOUX FALLS...PARKER...CENTERVILLE...
MARION...VIBORG...HURLEY...CHANCELLOR...CANTON...LENNOX...TEA...
HARRISBURG
1024 AM CST WED DEC 4 2013

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST
TONIGHT...

* TIMING...MUCH OF THE ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL OCCUR THROUGH THE
  MORNING HOURS...WITH PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW LINGERING IN THE
  AFTERNOON.

* ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AVERAGING 4 TO 7 INCHES
  ARE EXPECTED...HOWEVER SNOW AMOUNTS WILL RAPIDLY DECREASE SOUTH
  OF INTERSTATE 90 TO ONLY AROUND 2 OR 3 INCHES OR LESS IN
  SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY SOUTH DAKOTA.

* WIND AND VISIBILITY...NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE THROUGH
  THE MORNING HOURS AND AVERAGE 20 TO 30 MPH THIS AFTERNOON AND
  EVENING. THIS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES AT TIMES TO A HALF MILE
  OR LESS AT TIMES IN OPEN AREAS.

* WIND CHILL VALUES...WIND CHILL VALUES WILL CONTINUE TO
  STEADILY DECREASE THROUGH THE MORNING...AND SETTLE IN TO
  AROUND ZERO DEGREES BY MIDDAY AND THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE
  WIND CHILLS WILL THEN FALL FURTHER THIS EVENING AND WILL BE
  CLOSE TO 15 BELOW BY LATE EVENING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW
AND BLOWING SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS.
ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA
FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN
EMERGENCY.