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URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
301 PM EST WED JAN 27 2010

...MAJOR WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND
SURROUNDING AREAS LATE THIS WEEK...

.A MAJOR STORM SYSTEM WILL ORGANIZE ACROSS TEXAS THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT...THEN MOVE ALONG THE GULF COAST FRIDAY.
THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD PRECIPITATION OVER THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY
BEGIN AS RAIN...OR A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW...COOLER AIR SPILLING
INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED TO ALLOW
PRECIPITATION TO TRANSITION TO MAINLY SNOW ACROSS THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...AND ALONG THE I-40 CORRIDOR IN THE FOOTHILLS
AND PIEDMONT. SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED IN
THESE AREAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY.

NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-501>507-509-281000-
/O.NEW.KGSP.WS.A.0002.100129T1700Z-100130T2300Z/
AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-
HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-
GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NEWLAND...STATESVILLE...MOCKSVILLE...
SPRUCE PINE...CHEROKEE...WAYNESVILLE...ASHEVILLE...HICKORY...
SALISBURY...SYLVA...FRANKLIN...BREVARD...HENDERSONVILLE...
LENOIR...MORGANTON...MARION...LAKE LURE
301 PM EST WED JAN 27 2010

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED
A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL TRANSITION TO MOSTLY SNOW ACROSS THE
NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE PRECIPITATION WILL
SPREAD INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT DURING THE EVENING...WITH
MAINLY SNOW EXPECTED ALONG THE I-40 CORRIDOR. THE SNOW WILL FALL
THROUGH MUCH OF THE OVERNIGHT HOURS FRIDAY...BEFORE GRADUALLY
TAPERING OFF SATURDAY. ALTHOUGH UNCERTAINTY REMAINS REGARDING THE
AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION THAT WILL FALL...CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE
THAT TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS
MOST OF THE WATCH AREA. AMOUNTS MAY BE A LITTLE LESS IN THE
VALLEYS OF THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS...AND IN THE PIEDMONT...WHERE
SNOW WILL MIX WITH SLEET AND RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN AT TIMES.
SNOWFALL TOTALS MAY BE HIGHER ACROSS THE HIGH ELEVATIONS OF THE
MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.