What’s One More Snowstorm?

     Walda and Xerxes? I’m not sure when they started naming winter storms but I just learned about it this past week from a Facebook fan. I guess it’s something The Weather Channel decided to do to increase ratings? The snowstorms aren’t named by the National Weather Service and as far as I know they aren’t in alphabetical order either.  What do you know about the naming of winter storms?

     I don’t know if this new storm in our forecast is Xerxes or not but whatever they want to call it there’s more snow on the way to the Gunflint Trail. 

Issued: Saturday, Apr 13 at 03:38 pm
Expires: Monday, Apr 15 at 10:00 am

…ANOTHER WINTRY STORM HEADED FOR THE NORTHLAND SUNDAY AND SUNDAY
NIGHT…
.THE SNOW AND MIXED PRECIPITATION FROM ANOTHER SPRINGTIME STORM
SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO MOVE INTO THE BRAINERD LAKES REGION
VERY LATE TONIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION WILL THEN SPREAD ACROSS
NORTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN SUNDAY MORNING AND
AFTERNOON. THE STORM WILL BRING 4 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW TO MUCH OF
NORTHEAST MINNESOTA…BUT SOME AREAS MAY GET UP TO 8 INCHES. MOST
OF NORTHWEST WISCONSIN WILL GET SIGNIFICANTLY LESS AMOUNTS OF
SNOW…BUT NORTHERN DOUGLAS AND BAYFIELD COUNTIES COULD GET 3 TO 5
INCHES. A WINTRY MIXTURE OF PRECIPITATION…INCLUDING SNOW AND
LIGHT FREEZING RAIN…IS LIKELY FOR AREAS NEAR AND STRETCHING FROM
HINCKLEY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TO PHILLIPS IN NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN. OTHER PARTS OF NORTHWEST WISCONSIN COULD GET SOME LIGHT
SNOW…RAIN…AND SLEET. THERE COULD BE TIMES OF REDUCED
VISIBILITY NEAR THE TWIN PORTS AND ALONG THE NORTH SHORE SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY EVENING FROM 15 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTY EAST WINDS
OFF OF LAKE SUPERIOR.
…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO 10 AM CDT
MONDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DULUTH HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO
10 AM CDT MONDAY.
* LOCATION…KOOCHICHING…NORTHERN ITASCA…CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
ST. LOUIS…LAKE…AND COOK COUNTIES.
* TIMING…SNOW WILL START EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM WILL BE MID
AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…5 TO 8 INCHES OF WET AND HEAVY SNOW.
* WINDS/VISIBILITY…EAST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH SUNDAY AND SUNDAY
EVENING COULD REDUCE VISIBILITY TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT
TIMES DURING THE HEAVIER SNOW BANDS. THE WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST
ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR.
* IMPACTS…TRAVEL WILL LIKELY BE DIFFICULT…IF NOT
DANGEROUS…DUE TO THE REDUCED VISIBILITY DURING THE HEAVIER
SNOW BANDS AND DUE TO THE SNOW COVERED ROADS.

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATION IS ANTICIPATED…AND THAT SNOWFALL RATES OF ONE INCH PER HOUR OR GREATER CAN BE EXPECTED AT TIMES. EXPECT SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS AND VISIBILITY LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. LET SOMEONE KNOW YOUR TRAVEL ROUTE AND EXPECTED ARRIVAL TIME AND HAVE A WORKING CELL PHONE IN CASE YOU BECOME STRANDED. KEEP A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE…INCLUDING A FLASHLIGHT…FOOD…AND WATER. IF YOU CHOOSE TO TRAVEL…BE AWARE THAT YOU MAY BECOME STRANDED AND THAT IT MAY TAKE MANY HOURS FOR HELP TO ARRIVE.