Your blood is needed

Friday's snow hit the Red Cross hard. It was 260 units short of what it expected to collect. A-negative and O-negative type blood is especially needed. Hours have been extended today at the Califronia Road blood collection center. Stop by between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. The donor center at Lutheran Hospital is open 6 a.m. to noon. For more information about eligibility or to make an appointment, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

Clearing the way

The city, which has more than 50 plows out, says all its roads should be clear of snow by noon Saturday. The arterial and collector streets are already done. For a bit more explanation, this is from the city's Web site: Streets in each route are prioritized as one (arterials), two (collectors and Citilink bus routes), and three (residential). Priority one streets are the first streets to receive plowing and salting. Whenever the priority one streets are deemed safe for travel during or after a snowfall, the city's plow trucks begin operations on the priority two streets. After these streets are completed, trucks will move in to residential streets if there is an accumulation of three inches or more of snow.

Winter storm warning cancelled

Don't look for any more snow. The NWS has cancelled the winter storm warning that had been in effect for Fort Wayne until 7 tonight. Angola, Kendallville and LaGrange remain under the warning. For a complete list of cities either in or out of the warning, visit http://www.weather.gov/view/prodsByState.php?state=IN&prodtype=warnings

When the snow melts ...

From the National Weather Service in northern Indiana:

Minor to moderate river flooding possible next week ... Significant amounts of snow will have blanketed the region by the end of today. Temperatures will move well above freezing Monday andTuesday. Snowmelt will increase runoff into the regions' streams and creeks. In addition ... rainfall Monday into Tuesday may be moderate to heavy at times and will release any remaining snow pack. Runoff from this rainfall in combination with nearly saturated soils will allow for flooding of low-lying areas ... Basements and ponding of water on roadways next week. Any storm drains initially blocked by snow or ice may further exacerbate street flooding. Minor to moderate river flooding of larger rivers is also possible by the middle of next week. Stay tuned to noaa weather radio all hazards for the latest river flood information or visit our web site at weather.gov/iwx

Pond skating a no-go; The Mac open

This from Fort Wayne Parks and Rec:

Despite the blanket of snow, the Parks and Recreation Facilities are open for business!

The Mac, McMillen Ice Arena, is open for business and is a great place to go for skating fun. Open skate is a great place to burn off some energy – weekdays noon – 3pm, Friday night 7 - 9pm, Saturday and Sunday 2:30 - 4:30pm. Regular classes are still scheduled! Call 427-6730 if you have questions.

Also, the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory is open as usual, and it offers a great Dr. Seuss-inspired exhibit called “Seuss on the Loose.” Bring the kids, and beat the winter blues with this fantasy playground. Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday noon – 4pm, closed Mondays. Open Thursday 10am – 8pm. Call 427-6440 if you have questions.

All other classes are scheduled as usual. If you have questions, call 427-6000.

Back to business

John Tippmann, of Tippmann Properties, clears the walk in front of the Lincoln Tower in downtown Fort Wayne early Friday morning.

Clearing the way

Allen County Maintenance Department employee Gary Sorrell clears the walks in front of the City-County Building Friday morning.

New hazardous conditions system

Remember there is a new, uniform system for keeping the public advised of hazardous conditions in a number of scenarios, including severe weather. If the roads get bad, the county would issue an advisory to the public through the media. Check back here for updates. In the meantime, here's the press release from the state about the system: http://www.in.gov/dhs/files/Standardized_Conditions_Release.pdf

Send us your contributions

For those of you who don't have to go to work or school Friday, send us your storm reports and photos. (Assuming the weather man is right, of course.) E-mail an N-S editor at nsmetro@news-sentinel.com, and we'll post your submissions here. Photos are best as jpegs. And check back Friday for more storm updates from N-S reporters and editors.

Greg Shoup blog

For those of you who don't know about his blog, visit http://neindianaweatherblog.blogspot.com/. Shoup, of course, is a meteorologist at WANE TV-15. He even admits he is a weather geek, and has been posting periodic updates on the course of the storm.

Winter Storm Warning

From the National Weather Service (includes Fort Wayne and surrounding area):

Winter storm warning remains in effect from 10 pm this evening to 7 pm est Friday... A winter storm warning remains in effect from 10 pm this evening to 7 pm est Friday. Snow will overspread the area from southwest to northeast later this evening...becoming heavy by late evening and continue through Friday afternoon. Increasing east to northeast winds will lead to widespread blowing and drifting after midnight and hamper travel. snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches is expected by Friday evening. A winter storm warning means significant amounts of snow...sleet...and ice are expected. Strong winds are also expected. This will make travel very hazardous or impossible.

Winter Weather Driving Tips

Straight from the Indiana State Police:

With the threat of snow and ice in the forecast for northeast Indiana, driving conditions can change quickly. To help Hoosiers prepare for winter driving, the Indiana State Police offers the following safety tips.

Be prepared:
· Before traveling, check the forecast and let someone know your travel route.
· Keep your gas tank full, if possible. Never let it get below ½ a tank.
· Carry a winter driving kit which should include: blankets, flashlight and extra batteries, a brightly colored cloth, sand (or cat litter), shovel, candle, matches, non-perishable high calorie food, a first-aid kit, jumper cables and cell phone.

Drive according to road conditions:
· Allow extra time to get to your destination. Do not get in a hurry.
· Clear all windows of ice and snow and remove snow from hood, roof and head lights and tail lights.
· Beware of bridges, underpasses, shaded areas and intersections where ice is slow to melt.
· Slow down to increase traction; don’t use cruise control on slick roads.
· Avoid abrupt stops and starts, slow down gradually and keep wheels turning to avoid loosing traction.
· Use low beam headlights to decrease glare from ice.

Should you become stranded:
· Don’t leave your car, it’s the best protection you have.
· Tie a brightly colored cloth to your antenna if you need help.
· If you have no antenna, hang it out the drivers window
· Roll down your window slightly for fresh air.
· Keep the exhaust pipe free of blockage to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
· Don’t panic, an idling car uses only one gallon of gas per hour.

Lt. Gary Robbins, Commander of the Fort Wayne Post, would like to remind everyone the best sources for road and weather information are your local radio and TV media.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL city, county or state police dispatch centers to ask what the road and weather conditions are. We need to keep our lines open for emergency calls.For Indiana road conditions between December 1st and March 31st, call 800-261-7623 or visit the state police website at www.in.gov/isp