By David Helwig
SooToday.com
Sunday, December 27, 2009

The following snow warnings have been issued by the U.S. National Weather Service and Environment Canada.

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URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
344 PM EST SUN DEC 27

ONE LAST STRETCH OF HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS.

BEHIND A DEPARTING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM, A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLDER AIR WILL DESCEND INTO NORTHERN MICHIGAN, LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

AS THIS OCCURS, A PERIOD OF HEAVIER LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF EASTERN UPPER AND NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY.

CHIPPEWA - MACKINAC - INCLUDING THE CITIES OF SAULT STE. MARIE, ST. IGNACE

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM EST
MONDAY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GAYLORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY.

HAZARDS

PERIODS OF HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN, LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY.

SNOW ACCUMULATION

4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW EXPECTED BY MONDAY EVENING.

IMPACTS

MANY AREA ROADS WILL BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY.

VISIBILITIES WILL LOWER BELOW HALF A MILE AT TIMES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES, AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

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ENVIRONMENT CANADA HAS ISSUED A SEVERE WEATHER BULLETIN FOR NORTHERN ONTARIO AT 3:56 PM EST SUNDAY.

A SNOW SQUALL WATCH IS ISSUED FOR MANITOULIN ISLAND.

CONDITIONS ARE FAVOURABLE FOR SNOW SQUALL DEVELOPMENT TONIGHT.

IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTHWEST, CONDITIONS WILL BECOME FAVOURABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SNOW SQUALL BANDS ACROSS NORTHERN LAKE HURON BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT AND ENDING MONDAY MORNING.

ALTHOUGH SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINS REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT, LOCATION AND DURATION OF THESE SQUALLS, IT APPEARS AT THIS TIME THAT THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF MANITOULIN ISLAND WOULD BE THE MOST LIKELY AREA AFFECTED, WITH TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS UP TO 10 CENTIMETRES LOCALLY POSSIBLE THERE.

LOCALISED VERY LOW VISIBILITIES IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ALONG WITH RAPID SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION ARE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH SNOW SQUALLS.

PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST PUBLIC FORECASTS FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

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