...POTENTIALLY DEADLY BLIZZARD CRIPPLING REGION...

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CST /4 PM EST/
WEDNESDAY.

* TIMING...ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WEDNESDAY. SCATTERED LAKE
EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ARE LIKELY TO LINGER OVER NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE MOVING INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES WITH ACCUMULATION
RATES REACHING OR EXCEEDING 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. STORM
TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 10 TO 16 INCHES IS LIKELY TOWARD ROCKFORD
AND DIXON. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL TOTALS ARE LIKELY DOWNWIND OF
LAKE MICHIGAN IN THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA AND INTO
NORTHWEST INDIANA WHERE 12 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW IS LIKELY...
WITH POSSIBLE LOCALIZED TOTALS UP TO TWO FEET.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST WINDS FROM 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH WIND GUSTS OF
45 TO 55 MPH. EVEN STRONGER WINDS ARE LIKELY NEAR THE IMMEDIATE
LAKE MICHIGAN LAKE SHORE WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH
AND GUSTS OCCASIONALLY OVER 60 MPH.

* BLIZZARD CONDITIONS...STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH SEVERE BLOWING
AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL RESULT IN TRUE WHITE OUT
CONDITIONS...PARTICULARLY IN OPEN AREAS.

* THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED SNOW-PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS MAY RESULT
IN LOCALIZED INTENSE SNOWFALL RATES. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR
SNOWFALL RATES TO EXCEED 4 INCHES PER HOUR IN THUNDER SNOW
MAKING TRAVEL NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...SOME OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING AND COULD STILL PRODUCE SOME
SMALL HAIL.

* TRAVEL...ROAD CONDITIONS WILL BE TREACHEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL
UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY...AND EVEN THEN REALIZE THAT DRIVING
IN A BLIZZARD IS PUTTING YOUR LIFE AT RISK. VISIBILITIES ARE SO
POOR IN OPEN AREAS THAT MOTORISTS COULD BECOME DISORIENTED AND
UNABLE TO EVEN SEE BEYOND THE HOOD OF THEIR CARS.

* POWER OUTAGES...STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO RESULT
IN NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES. IN ADDITION...THE ADVERSE CONDITIONS
COULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO RESTORE POWER.

* OTHER IMPACTS...THE DEEP SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL MAKE SHOVELING
VERY DIFFICULT...AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY. DURING AND
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE BLIZZARD OF 1999 OVER 40 PEOPLE IN
THE CHICAGO AREA ALONE LOST THEIR LIVES TO HEART ATTACKS WHILE
SHOVELING THE HEAVY SNOWFALL. TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS INDOORS AND
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE TASK AT HAND WHEN SHOVELING.

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 ABSOLUTELY MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU.
IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.