Increasingly Serious Ice Storm Potential

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Here is the forecast for 10pm CST Sunday:
The purples are freezing rain and sleet. The blues are snow with the very dark blue near the Ozarks equalling a high rate of snow. Thunderstorms are out ahead of the cold front from northern Mississippi to near Washington, D.C.

This results in more ice that it first appeared. 

Reds and purples on the SPIA mean that power failures, on at least a scattered basis, are a near certainty. Here is a guide. Do not take the locations on the above maps as exact.
Click to enlarge. Sperry-Piltz Ice Accumulation Index
Here are zoomed in maps (courtesy of Dr. Ryan Maue) of the icing areas based on this evening's computer model output, click to enlarge.

The orange is sleet and the purple is freezing rain (glaze ice). Do not take these areas as exact. This is telling us some areas will have power failures with extended outages. 

Here are some suggestions for preparing for an ice storm:
  • Get extra cash from the ATM
  • Fill your gas tank (service stations' pumps don't work without electricity)
  • Get prescriptions refilled
  • If you live in a wooded area and have a chain saw, get fresh gasoline
  • Keep your cell phone and laptop fully charged
  • Get an inverter (they come in various sizes for different uses) so you can continue to keep your phone and computer operating by using your automobile. Inverters are often called a "poor man's generator." Remember, if you use your car for this purpose, make sure the garage door is open so carbon monoxide does not build up.  

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