[K3PZN-List] Winter Storm Watch

[n3sb at qis.net]

Folks;

The National Weather Service has issued the following bulletin for  
Carroll County and surrounding areas:

###### Quoted Text
.BLIZZARD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRI AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE
SATURDAY NIGHT.

THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN BALTIMORE MD/WA HAS
ISSUED A BLIZZARD WATCH.WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY
AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE SAT NIGHT.

* HAZARD TYPES.HEAVY SNOW & WIND. A WINTRY MIX IS POSSIBLE
  FRI NIGHT INTO SAT MORNING EAST OF INTERSTATE
  95.BEFORE CHANGING BACK TO ALL SNOW ON SATURDAY.

* ACCUMULATIONS.POTENTIAL FOR A FOOT OR MORE OF SNOW.

* TIMING.FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SAT NIGHT. CONDITIONS ARE
  EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE FRI AFTERNOON WITH THE HEAVIEST
  SNOW.STRONGEST WINDS & POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS
  EXPECTED FRI NIGHT THROUGH SAT NIGHT.

* IMPACTS.HEAVY SNOW & BLOWING SNOW WILL CAUSE DANGEROUS
  CONDITIONS & WILL BE A THREAT TO LIFE & PROPERTY. TRAVEL IS
  EXPECTED TO BE SEVERELY LIMITED IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE DURING THE
  HEIGHT OF THE STORM FRI NIGHT & SATURDAY. VISIBILITY WILL
  BE REDUCED TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES IN WHITEOUT CONDITIONS.

* WINDS.NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH FRIDAY. NE WINDS WILL
  INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH FRIDAY
  NIGHT.THEN SHIFT NO. SAT THROUGH SAT NIGHT.

* TEMPS.MID TO UPPER 20S MOST LOCATIONS. UPPER 20S TO
  LWR 30S ACROSS S. MD.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.

USE THIS ADVANCE NOTICE TO PLAN AHEAD! ADJUST TRAVEL PLANS.AND
PLANNED ACTIVITIES. STOCK UP ON NECESSITIES. MAKE PLANS FOR
ELDERLY FAMILY & THOSE MOST AT RISK. PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF
POWER OUTAGES DURING SNOWY & COLD CONDITIONS. USE THIS TIME TO

###### End Quoted Text from NWS

The Carroll County Office of Emergency Management issued their initial  
briefing on this situation yesterday afternoon:

###### Quoted Text

Good afternoon!  As many of you have probably heard, a significant  
winter storm event is possible for our region late this week into the  
weekend.  Here are the current details, straight from our 4:00 p.m.  
statewide emergency management weather conference call.

Forecasters are expressing increasing levels of confidence that a  
“high impact winter weather event” will affect our area on Friday and  
Saturday.
Most likely issues for Carroll County: Heavy snow and high winds

Timeframe: Snow is expected to overspread the area on Friday morning  
and continue through Saturday night, with the heaviest precipitation  
currently expected to occur Friday afternoon through the day on  
Saturday.
Winds: 10-20 mph during the day on Friday, increasing to 15-30 mph  
with gusts of up to 40 mph on Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night.

Accumulation: The National Weather Service has not yet issued any  
predictions regarding snowfall accumulations.

A small shift in the track of the storm may significantly affect our  
snowfall totals, so stay tuned for more information as we get closer  
to the weekend.

**No decisions have been made at this time regarding activation of the  
Carroll County EOC. ** We are simply too far out from the predicted  
onset of the storm to determine whether the need for EOC activation  
exists. That being said, now is the time to put some thought into  
preparedness actions for your family and your agency, and to determine  
your possible staffing plan for EOC representation should it be  
determined necessary to activate.  Depending upon how the situation  
plays out we may explore the utilization of a Virtual EOC concept,  
where at least some agency representatives would monitor WebEOC  
remotely; we encourage you to make sure that your agency is prepared  
to send staffing to the EOC if needed OR to provide remote  
representation via WebEOC.
Please do not hesitate to contact our office with questions or if you  
need any additional details.  As more information becomes available,  
we will send out updates as warranted.

Thanks – stay safe (and warm) out there!

Valerie

###### End Quoted Text from Carroll EOC

Please start reviewing your pre-activation checklists. We have time to  
prepare ourselves for this event, in order to improve our safety and  
comfort. My pre-activation checklist is below – yours may well be  
different. Consider any prescriptions you may need, or other special  
items you will require. Travel could be difficult this weekend, so  
think about what you will need, and make arrangements before the storm  
arrives.

Also – please keep tuned to our 145.410 CCARC repeater for any  
announcements and for anyone traveling in the area that may require  
assistance.

73; Steve, N3SB

ARES Personal Pre-activation Checklist for N3SB
Fill water jugs
Check status of cat food
Check flashlight & spare batteries
Check Solar / crank powered radio
Insure gel cells are charged
Fill kerosene tank
Prepare candles & matches
Unplug sensitive electronics from power mains
Disconnect antennas
Have extra cash on hand
Secure list of telephone & pager numbers for immediate family & friends