Winter Weather Awareness Week 11/30-12/4 2015

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
621 AM EST WED DEC 2 2015

...WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES...

SNOW IS SOMETHING MIDLAND AND CSRA RESIDENTS RARELY SEE.

CLIMATOLOGICALLY...THESE AREAS AVERAGE AROUND 1 INCH OF SNOW A YEAR.
HOWEVER...THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WINTER STORM SYSTEMS WILL IMPACT THE
AREA AND BRING HEAVY SNOW...SLEET...AND OR FREEZING RAIN WITH THEM.

HEAVY SNOW CAN IMMOBILIZE A REGION AND PARALYZE TRANSPORTATION AND
AT TIMES EVEN HALT THE FLOW OF SUPPLIES.  ACCUMULATIONS OF HEAVY WET
SNOW CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND POWERLINES CAUSING POWER OUTAGES FOR
SEVERAL DAYS.  THIS CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE LOCAL
ECONOMY.

FORTUNATELY FOR OUR AREA WE RARELY SEE THESE CONDITIONS.  BUT MANY
RESIDENTS ARE NOT USED TO DRIVING IN SNOW AT ALL.  EVEN AN INCH OF
SNOW CAN CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS IN THE MIDLANDS AND
CSRA. WHEN SNOW IS FORECAST BE SURE TO DO ANY NECESSARY TRAVELING
BEFORE THE EVENT BEGINS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE A SNOW ADVISORY WHEN AROUND
AN INCH OR LESS OF SNOW IS EXPECTED.  A WINTER STORM WARNING WILL BE
ISSUED WHEN WE EXPECT AN AVERAGE OF 2 INCHES OF SNOW IN 12 HOURS OR
AN AVERAGE OF 3 INCHES OF SNOW IN 24 HOURS.


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NWS COLUMBIA SC