MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0097
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   0345 AM CST FRI FEB 03 2012
   
   AREAS AFFECTED...FRONT RANGE OF THE ROCKIES INTO NERN CO...NWRN
   KS...SWRN NEB
   
   CONCERNING...HEAVY SNOW 
   
   VALID 030945Z - 031345Z
   
   HEAVY SNOW WITH RATES NEAR 1-3 INCH AN HOUR WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE
   FRONT RANGE IN CO. HEAVIER SNOW WILL GRADUALLY DEVELOP EWD INTO THE
   ADJACENT PLAINS THROUGH THE MORNING. NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS MAY BE
   POSSIBLE AS NELY LOW LEVEL WINDS STRENGTHEN SLIGHTLY.
   
   ENHANCED SNOWFALL RATES HAVE BEEN ONGOING ALONG THE FRONT RANGE AND
   IMMEDIATE UPSLOPE AREAS WHERE MULTI CLOUD LAYER PRECIPITATION HAS
   LED TO AN AMALGAMATION OF SNOWFLAKES. WITH THE UPPER LOW REMAINING
   RATHER STATIONARY...FAVORABLE UPPER DIVERGENCE SHOULD CONTINUE TO
   MAINTAIN ENHANCED SNOWFALL RATES IN THIS AREA IN CONCERT WITH
   PERSISTENT NELY/UPSLOPE LOW LEVEL FLOW. DETERMINISTIC MODELS DO SHOW
   A SLIGHT EWD SHIFT IN THE LOW...RESULTING IN A GRADUAL INCREASE IN
   PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE ADJACENT PLAINS THIS MORNING. 0915Z RADAR
   IMAGERY IS SHOWING A BAND DEVELOPING FROM NEAR PUB NEWD TO
   LBF...WHERE RATES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE. ALTHOUGH
   TEMPERATURE PROFILES ARE TOO WARM FOR SNOW AS OF 0930Z ACROSS SWRN
   NEB AND NWRN KS...WEB BULB EFFECTS MAY ALLOW FOR SOME LOW LEVEL
   COOLING...WITH TEMPERATURES HOVERING AROUND FREEZING IN A FEW HOURS.
   WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY BY SUNRISE...LEADING TO
   NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN BLOWING SNOW. DETERMINISTIC MODEL SPREAD
   REMAINS HIGH EVEN WITH THE EVENT ONGOING...LEADING TO CONSIDERABLE
   UNCERTAINTY IN SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS. QPF TOTALS THUS FAR HAVE BEEN
   OVERDONE COMPARED TO OBSERVATIONAL DATA. NONETHELESS...SNOWFALL
   RATES MAY BE INTENSE AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE FRONT RANGE.
   
   ..HURLBUT.. 02/03/2012
   
   
   ATTN...WFO...LBF...GLD...PUB...BOU...
   
   LAT...LON   39600156 39050307 38540428 38400451 38780504 39630499
               39980410 40840247 41060181 40850129 40330109 39600156