Ice Storm in West Virginia, December 11, 2002

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
334 AM EST WED DEC 11 2002

MID LEVEL LOW AND ASSOCIATED SFC LOW TRACKING NEWRD THOUGH GFS A LITTLE
FASTER TO LET COASTAL LOW TAKE OVER. ISSUED WS WARNING EARLIER BASED ON
NEW MODEL RUN SHOWING QUARTER INCH QPF IN SRN TIERS AND MOST OF THAT
FREZG RAIN. FARTHER NORTH NOT AS MUCH BUT AMOUNTS SO CLOSE TO QUARTER
INCH CRITERIA DID NOT FEEL BRAVE ENOUGH TO LEAVE OUT. FURTHER WEST WILL
STAY WITH ADVSRY AS PRECIP SHOULD CHANGE TO RAIN EARLIER. FAVORABLE
GROWTH AREA ON BUFKIT IN DECENT OMEGA FROM MORNING THROUGH EARLY AFTN
SO THIS SHOULD BE THE HEAVIER PERIOD. VERY LOW DWPTS WILL TAKE A LONG
TIME TO RISE AND WILL HOLD TEMPS DOWN BRINGING WET BULB ZERO NOS SLOWLY
UP. MAY BE A CHANGE TO RAIN DURNG AFTN IN ALL BUT NORTHERN AND EASTERN
MOUNTAINS AS LOW TRIES TO DRAG IN SOME WARMER AIR.
AS MID LEVEL AND SFC LOW DEPART TONIGHT WILL JUST GO CHC RAIN THEN
REMAINING CLOUDY OVERNGT. SFC RDGE BUILDS IN ON THUR THEN ANOTHER
SYSTEM COMES UP THE MISS VALLEY FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SAT THOUGH THIS
ONE LOOKS MILDER.
TEMPS A COMPROMISE BETWEEN GFS AND ETA MOS NOS.

.PBZ...
MD...WINTER STORM WARNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR ZONE MDZ001.

OH...WINTER STORM WARNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR ZONES
OHZ040>041...OHZ050.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR ZONES
OHZ039...OHZ048>049...OHZ057>059...OHZ068>069.

PA...WINTER STORM WARNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR ZONES
PAZ007>009...PAZ013>016...PAZ020>023...PAZ029>030...PAZ032.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR ZONE PAZ031.

WV...WINTER STORM WARNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR ZONES
WVZ001>002...WVZ023...WVZ041.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR ZONES
WVZ003>004...WVZ012...WVZ021>022.

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-111130-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
450 AM EST WED DEC 11 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND
GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND.

.DAY ONE...

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA...THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST
VIRGINIA...PRESTON AND TUCKER COUNTIES IN WEST VIRGINIA...AND GARRETT
COUNTY IN MARYLAND...FOR A QUARTER INCH OR MORE OF ICE ACCUMULATION
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR
PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL OHIO AND THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE WEST VIRGINIA
PANHANDLE AND PARTS OF NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA INTO EARLY AFTERNOON.
THESE AREAS SHOULD RECEIVE LESSER AMOUNTS OF FREEZING RAIN.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY. PLEASE CALL IN FREEZING RAIN AMOUNTS
OF A TENTH OF AN INCH OR MORE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-111430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
804 AM EST WED DEC 11 2002

...WINTER STORM UPDATE...

FREEZING RAIN HAS BEGUN ACROSS THE AREA AND ICE HAS BEGUN TO
ACCUMULATE. IN SOME LOCATIONS...THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE FREEZING WHEN
THE RAIN STARTED...BUT IS NOW DROPPING BELOW FREEZING. BEWARE OF ROADS
AND SIDEWALKS BECOMING ICY AND SUDDENLY HAZARDOUS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH EXPECTS THAT SOME
AREAS...MAINLY NORTH AND EAST OF PITTSBURGH...CAN GET A COATING OF ICE
GREATER THAN A QUARTER INCH. THIS CAN BE ENOUGH ICE TO CAUSE DOWNED
TREES AND POWER LINES.

THE FREEZING RAIN WILL BEGIN TO TURN TO RAIN AROUND PITTSBURGH AND
ZANESVILLE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...AS TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO REBOUND.
THE FREEZING RAIN MAY NOT END IN THE MOUNTAINS UNTIL LATE THIS
AFTERNOON.

OHZ040-041-050-PAZ013-014-020>023-029-030-032-WVZ001-002-111615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
925 AM EST WED DEC 11 2002

...THE HEAVIEST FREEZING RAIN MOVING THROUGH THE REGION...

PITTSBURGH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT 9:25 AM SHOWED
THAT THE HEAVIEST AREA OF FREEZING RAIN IS MOVING NORTHWARD THROUGH THE
REGION.  HEAVY SLEET AND SOME SNOW IS MIXING WITH THIS HEAVY FREEZING
RAIN.

THIS HEAVY BAND EXTENDS FROM NEAR STEUBENVILLE OHIO, THROUGH
PITTSBURGH, TO NEAR INDIANA PENNSYLVANIA.  POCKETS OF HEAVY FREEZING
RAIN ARE ALSO LOCATED TO THE SOUTH OF THIS BAND.  THE PRECIPITATION IS
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

TEMPERATURES REMAIN BETWEEN 30 AND 32 DEGREES.  ROADS AND SIDEWALKS
WILL BE ICE COVERED AND HAZARDOUS.  ICE WILL ACCUMULATE ON TREES AND
POWER LINES, POSSIBLY CAUSING POWER OUTAGES.

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT.  TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED.  STAY
INDOORS UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE THIS AFTERNOON.

THE FREEZING RAIN SHOULD TAPER TO LIGHT RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN BY
NOON.  TEMPERATURES AT THAT TIME SHOULD BE IN THE 31 TO 34 DEGREE RANGE.

PAZ007>009-015-016-111630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
935 AM EST WED DEC 11 2002

...HEAVIER FREEZING RAIN MOVING TOWARD THE REGION...

PITTSBURGH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT 9:35 AM SHOWED
THAT THE HEAVIEST AREA OF FREEZING RAIN IS MOVING NORTHWARD TOWARD THE
REGION.  HEAVY SLEET AND SOME SNOW IS MIXING WITH THIS HEAVY FREEZING
RAIN.

THIS HEAVY BAND EXTENDS FROM OVER COLUMBIANA COUNTY OHIO, THROUGH
BUTLER, AND KITTANNING, TO NEAR PUNXSUTAWNEY PENNSYLVANIA.  POCKETS OF
HEAVY FREEZING RAIN ARE ALSO LOCATED TO THE SOUTH OF THIS BAND.  THE
PRECIPITATION IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

TEMPERATURES REMAIN BETWEEN 26 AND 30 DEGREES.  ROADS AND SIDEWALKS
WILL BE ICE COVERED AND HAZARDOUS.  ICE WILL ACCUMULATE ON TREES AND
POWER LINES, POSSIBLY CAUSING POWER OUTAGES.

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT.  TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED.  STAY
INDOORS UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

THE FREEZING RAIN SHOULD TAPER TO LIGHT RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN BY 2 PM.
TEMPERATURES AT THAT TIME SHOULD BE IN THE 28 TO 32 DEGREE RANGE.

OHZ039-048-049-057>059-068-069-PAZ031-WVZ003-004-012-021-022-111630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
945 AM EST WED DEC 11 2002

...FREEZING RAIN CONTINUING ACROSS THE REGION...

PITTSBURGH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT 9:45 AM SHOWED
THAT MAINLY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN, WITH POCKETS OF HEAVIER FREEZING RAIN,
IS MOVING NORTHWARD THROUGH THE REGION. THE PRECIPITATION IS MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTH AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

TEMPERATURES REMAIN BETWEEN 31 AND 33 DEGREES.  UNTREATED ROADS AND
SIDEWALKS WILL BE ICE COVERED AND HAZARDOUS.  ICE WILL CONTINUE TO
ACCUMULATE THIS MORNING.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT.  IF YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL, USE
CAUTION.  CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE BY AFTERNOON.

THE FREEZING RAIN SHOULD TAPER TO LIGHT RAIN BY NOON.  TEMPERATURES AT
THAT TIME SHOULD BE ABOVE FREEZING.

MDZ001-WVZ023-041-111645-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
950 AM EST WED DEC 11 2002

...THE HEAVIEST FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET HAS MOVED NORTH OF THE
REGION...

PITTSBURGH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT 9:50 AM SHOWED
THAT THE HEAVIEST AREA OF FREEZING RAIN HAS MOVED NORTH OF THE MARYLAND
AND WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINS, BUT THE FREEZING RAIN IS CONTINUING ACROSS
THE REGION.

TEMPERATURES REMAIN BETWEEN 26 AND 30 DEGREES.  ROADS AND SIDEWALKS
WILL BE ICE COVERED AND HAZARDOUS.  ICE WILL ACCUMULATE ON TREES AND
POWER LINES, POSSIBLY CAUSING POWER OUTAGES.

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT.  TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED.  STAY
INDOORS UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE THIS AFTERNOON.

THE FREEZING RAIN SHOULD TAPER TO LIGHT RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN BY EARLY
AFTERNOON.  TEMPERATURES AT THAT TIME SHOULD BE IN THE 30 TO 34 DEGREE
RANGE.