Special Weather Statement – Freezing Rain Potential Monday and Monday Evening
From the NWS:
948 PM CST SUN JAN 4 2009
…LIGHT FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE
MID SOUTH ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT…
A COLD AIRMASS CONTINUES TO FILTER INTO THE MID SOUTH THIS EVENING
BEHIND A COLD FRONT THAT EXTENDS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI.
TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO FALL TO NEAR OR JUST BELOW FREEZING
BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING ACROSS AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE
40.
A SERIES OF WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON
MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL ALLOW LIGHT PRECIPITATION TO
REDEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF THE MID SOUTH BY MID MORNING MONDAY…CONTINUING
INTO MONDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES MAY REMAIN NEAR THE FREEZING
MARK THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON ALONG THE INTERSTATE
40 CORRIDOR…INCLUDING THE CITIES OF MEMPHIS AND JACKSON. THIS
MAY RESULT IN A PERIOD OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WHICH COULD RESULT
IN ICY SPOTS ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES…RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL.
AREAS FURTHER NORTH ACROSS NORTHEAST ARKANSAS…THE MISSOURI
BOOTHEEL…AND NORTHWEST TENNESSEE…INCLUDING THE CITIES OF
JONESBORO AND DYERSBURG…WILL HAVE A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF A MORE
PROLONGED PERIOD OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN. IN THESE
AREAS…TEMPERATURES ARE MORE LIKELY TO REMAIN AT OR BELOW
FREEZING INTO MONDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION IN THESE
LOCATIONS WILL LIKELY REMAIN LIGHT…THERE STILL REMAINS THE
POTENTIAL FOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO ONE TENTH OF AN INCH. THIS
WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN MORE WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS TRAVEL AND ICING
OF BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES.
ALTHOUGH THE POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND ICY TRAVEL
APPEARS TO BE INCREASING…THERE STILL REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY
WITH RESPECT HOW FAR SOUTH FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL REACH. PLEASE
REMAIN UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST FORECAST AND THE POTENTIAL FOR
LIGHT ICING. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORIES MAY BECOME NECESSARY FOR
PORTIONS OF THE MID SOUTH ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT.
