MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0121
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   1120 AM CST THU FEB 20 2014

   AREAS AFFECTED...PORTIONS OF E-CNTRL AND SRN MN...NW WI...NRN/CNTRL
   IA

   CONCERNING...HEAVY SNOW 

   VALID 201720Z - 202315Z

   SUMMARY...RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN ACROSS PARTS OF MN AND IA WILL
   CHANGE TO SNOW THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVY THIS AFTERNOON
   AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE
   EXPECTED...WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW BAND ANTICIPATED TO SET UP FROM
   THE MINNEAPOLIS METRO EAST TO EAU CLAIRE AND S/SW INTO CENTRAL IA.
   ADDITIONALLY...WIND SPEEDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON...LEADING TO
   BLIZZARD CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS CENTRAL IA INTO SOUTHERN MN.

   DISCUSSION...AN INTENSE SFC LOW LOCATED OVER NW MO LATE THIS MORNING
   WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK NEWD AND INTENSIFY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND
   EVENING. DEEP ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH PARENT TROUGH WILL OVERSPREAD
   THE MCD AREA...AND STRONG FRONTOGENETIC FORCING IN THE 850-700 MB
   LAYER WILL AID IN FURTHER ORGANIZATION AND INTENSIFICATION OF HEAVY
   SNOW IMPACTING SE MN/NW WI AND CNTRL/NRN IA. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS
   EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG SFC TROUGH/STRONGER DEFORMATION ZONE FROM
   THE MSP TO EAU AREA SWD INTO CNTRL IA LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS
   EVENING. ADDITIONALLY...STRONG PRESSURE FALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
   DEEPENING SFC LOW WILL LEAD TO INCREASING SFC WIND SPEEDS THIS
   AFTERNOON. N/NW WINDS 25-35 MPH GUSTING TO 45 MPH WILL LEAD TO
   BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS ACROSS IA AND SRN
   MN. FURTHER NORTH WHERE PRESSURE FALLS ARE WEAKER...WIND SPEEDS WILL
   BE LESS STRONG...AROUND 15-25 MPH.

   ..LEITMAN.. 02/20/2014


   ATTN...WFO...DVN...DLH...ARX...MPX...DMX...FSD...OAX...

   LAT...LON   42629566 43219543 44369484 45909332 46199245 46169177
               46069139 45819097 45469073 45159065 44909065 43569130
               42569210 42029265 41419327 41279362 41239444 41359514
               41729557 42109575 42629566