'Winter Storm Q' to Impact Friday Morning Commute, Up to 6 Inches Expected
While we dodge a blizzard from 'Winter Storm Q', the timing of the latest snowfall will likely create a mess for the Friday morning commute
Photos
Videos
It won't go down as the worst snowfall, but the overnight timing for the latest Winter Weather Advisory will certainly make your drive to work on Friday a challenge.
According to Patch's media partners at WISN 12, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory, which goes into effect from midnight Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday.
The timing puts a band of moderate snow, which is part of a much larger system named "Winter Storm Q," over our area between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday, with about 3 to 4 inches expected. In addition, winds out of the east are expected to increase to 10 to 20 mph, with gusts of 25 to 30 mph overnight into Friday morning before they taper off to a manageable 5 to 10 mph Friday afternoon.
Light snow will continue through the day Friday, bringing another 1 or 2 but tapering off in the late afternoon and evening. In addition, warmer temperatures may also bring some freezing drizzle into the mix.
The mixture of the snow's timing and the winds will create snow-covered roads along with reduced visibilities with blowing and drifting snow to make travel hazardous, especially overnight Thursday night into the Friday morning commute.
The storm totals are predicted at 4 to 6 inches, with lower totals falling south and east. However, there's always someone worse off, and in this case the central plains drew the short straw, with storm conditions becoming blizzard-like and nearly two feet of snow expected to fall in portions of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.
Storm warnings or advisories have been posted in 17 states, with snow also seen in Arizona, California and Nevada from this system.
Craig
12:24 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I think naming storms is a way for media to gain people's attention.
Making the 4-6" snowfall a "named" storm increases drama, and gets people to tune in at 5 o' clock.
After all, it is always about the almighty dollar.
Bob McBride
12:45 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I think if you're going to name storms, something like "Q" won't cut it. Beelzebub or Nosferatu or Vlad or Damien or something like that. Something that brings more of the "Mark Baden Weather Update of Doom" aspect to it - now that 12 is partnering with Patch.
CowDung
1:02 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wasn't "Q" the bad guy on Star Trek (the one with Picard)? I think it might be an appropriate name for a storm of doom...
Tuco
1:14 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Yeah, "Q" always gave Picard an "interesting" time. I immediately thought "Q" had come to Earth and was going to wreak havoc on us!
I like Bob's names better! They have that evil sound and possible doom feeling....
CowDung
1:23 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I agree.
I am surprised that this story doesn't have the orange 'breaking news' banner at the top of the page. I would think that impending doom by way of an approaching snowstorm is much more of a breaking news item than new shoe stores coming to Southridge Mall...
Steve ®
1:35 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
The administration/state controlled media is now calling hurricanes "super storms" and naming snow storms in an attempt to further their global cooling/global warming/climate change/climate event agenda.
Denise Konkol
2:06 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Someone also reminded me that Q was a James Bond character. Either way, I'm thinking this is a Weather Channel gimmick. Previous storms were named Draco, Magnus, Orko....strange.
Erik Helgestad
2:32 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Correct, this has been made up by the Weather Channel, and is not recognized by the National Weather Service.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/weather-channel-to-name-winter-storms-a-publicity-and-power-play-with-possible-value/2012/10/02/efa49318-0c98-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_blog.html
AWD
6:51 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Let's hope they never name a storm "Obama". Because that one will destroy the entire country.
Carl Spackler
7:11 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
My wife said that she would be elated to get 6 inches then she smiled and left.
Greg
8:56 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
Done. Plus some.
michelle
9:29 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I don't care how much snow we get. Remember people we live in Wisconsin.
Alol
9:47 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
And we couldn't have another blurb about an impending snow-dump of any size without at least one person reminding us of where we live!
Not to get too catty here, but I think the point of this article isn't to shock people with the information that it's going to snow (!), but to gently remind people that they may need to allow some extra commute/car scraping time in their morning routine.
Soooo, good for you if you don't care how much accumulation we get because you drive a monster truck; you're totally doing winter-life in WI right and we're all now well aware of it.
Greg
8:58 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
You need a reminder?
Alol
9:26 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
No, Greg, I personally don't. Thank you for asking.
I heard a state trooper who was patrolling one of the busier highways say on the news that during the beginning of winter they're dealing with people who have forgotten how to drive in winter conditions over the summer, and now at this point in winter he's dealing with people who've remembered how to drive in it, but are tired of it and just want to hurry to their destinations. So yeah, obviously some people out there need reminding.
Greg
3:30 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
If one needs a reminder, that they need to allow more driving time due to bad weather, I question if they should be driving a vehicle at all. Should we have an article telling these people not to put their tongue into a light socket or that the stove is hot?
Alol
10:32 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Honestly, it probably wouldn't hurt to remind the population of things like that every now and again. Do you read/watch the news much? Or ever watched an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos? Or seen this movie: http://youtu.be/KIEQXIkXrPU ?
Anthony Domitrz
9:00 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
Even thought my commute was a little longer, you just have to give yourself more time on the road and its all good. Even at 9:00, the roads near my house still haven't been plowed and its horrible to drive through.
Steve ®
9:53 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
OMG IT SNOWED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Leah Fleischman
11:41 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
Surprisingly I woke up to all the roads plowed on my commute which made this snow fall seem like less then the big deal some people put it out to be yesterday with all the warnings.
OC Dreamin
3:15 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
I'm just looking forward to the day that I can move into my luxury apartment at Drexel Town Square, walk to my job at one of the booming well-paying businesses there, stop for some slick new Carhartt threads at Meijer, a slice of pizza at the pizza place, and then walk back home to my luxury apartment. I won't need to worry about roads and snow. That's what I call downtown livin!