… WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST SATURDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* LOCATIONS… MADISON… HAYWOOD… GRAHAM… AND SWAIN COUNTIES.

* HAZARDS… HEAVY SNOWFALL.

* TIMING… SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING… WITH ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED TO BE MAINLY CONFINED TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. SNOW WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AND INCREASE IN INTENSITY DURING THE AFTERNOON… AND WILL BEGIN TO ACCUMULATE MORE IN THE VALLEYS. SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT… BUT ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL MAINLY OCCUR IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND IN THE LOWER FRENCH BROAD VALLEY.

* ACCUMULATIONS… TOTAL SNOWFALL THROUGH SATURDAY IS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 4 TO 7 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS… WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. UP TO A FOOT IS EXPECTED IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ALONG THE TENNESSEE BORDER.

* IMPACTS… SNOW COVERED ROADWAYS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH AT LEAST THE NEXT 24 HOURS OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. TRAVEL THROUGH THE SMOKIES AND ON OTHER HIGH ELEVATION ROADS IS DISCOURAGED. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES MAY BE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING IN SOME OF THE LOWER VALLEYS… HEAVY SNOWFALL RATES WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SNOW ACCUMULATING QUICKLY ON ROADS… ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW… SLEET… AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Dear 2010,

I am glad to be shed of you because you sucked. There were a couple of bright spots to you, put for the most part you were a lot of stress and worry.

Hopefully, 2011 will be much better.

Love,
Chas.

… WINTER STORM CONDITIONS CONTINUING THIS MORNING…

… WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* LOCATIONS… THE TENNESSEE BORDER COUNTIES OF THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS.

* HAZARDS… HEAVY SNOW… BLOWING SNOW… VERY WINDY CONDITIONS… AND BITTER WIND CHILLS.

* TIMING… SNOW WILL BEGIN BEFORE SUNRISE OVER THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY.

* ACCUMULATIONS… 5 TO 10 INCHES. LOCALLY OVER A FOOT AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS.

* IMPACTS… THE COMBINATION OF ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL AND VERY WINDY CONDITIONS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS TODAY THROUGH MONDAY. BLOWING SNOW COULD LOCALLY REDUCE THE VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE AT TIMES. HEAVY SNOW MAY ALSO BRING DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES.

* TEMPERATURES… HIGHS 20 TO 30. LOWS 12 TO 24.

* WINDS… NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH ON SUNDAY… WITH SOME GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH POSSIBLE LATE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL… BE SURE TO TAKE ALONG YOUR CELL PHONE. WEAR A WARM COAT… GLOVES… AND BOOTS. KEEP A BLANKET… FLASHLIGHT… FOOD… AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

What’s up? I have been meaning to write you for a bit and the past few weeks have made it all too clear that this talk is long overdue.

I am concerned that you soon will be dead from the crazy way you carry on when behind the wheel of your car. I am also concerned you are going to kill me while you are at it. And it’s not just the obvious “you’re talking on your cell while driving” things either.

You’re doing stupid things like tailgating me at 80 mph on the interstate. Seriously. You need to stop this dangerous behavior. You’re also riding right up on my ass before you pass me and then cutting right back in front of me when you get past. Remember that thing called “Safe Following Distance” and that thing called “Safe Passing Distance?” Yeah, well … you should because they are handy rules meant to keep you from potentially killing both of us.

The other day, I saw you use an on ramp as a passing lane because the normal traffic was apparently slowing you down too much. Seriously. What could have been so important that you needed to shave 3 seconds off your drive? That day, I wished I was a cop so I could have busted your ass back to the stone ages.

Turn signals are on your car for a reason. Use them!!! This gives us at least some clue what you are doing before you suddenly slam on the brakes and make that unexpected turn.

And speaking of turns … they are TURNS and not CURVES. Curves, for the most part, are gradual and don’t require a lot of steering effort. Turns, on the other hand, are a completely different animal. Please be more conscience of this difference in the future. I know you are just being lazy and not putting that extra bit of effort into your steering. But you need to stop nearly taking the front end of my car off when I am behind the white line at the red light or stopped at a cross street!

Please improve in the various areas that I have mentioned and I am sure we can have a much calmer time together on the road.

Yours truly,
Chas.

Yeah, yeah … I know that should be posting more, but I have been super duper lazy!

Being lazy feels good.

Here’s a brief list of excitement from the past week or so:
– 4-Day Holiday Weekend
– Thanksgiving Dinner at the Magendie’s (minus Kat though)
– 5:00 a.m. Black Friday Madness at Best Buy
– 7:00 a.m. Black Friday Calmness at Walmart
– “Pen” Read-Through
– Irish Hot Chocolate
– Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s Pizza
– “Metalocalypse” Season Three on Blu-ray