Winter Weather Update

(Monday, Jan. 27, 2009) – ICE STORM WARNING in effect for the West TN counties of Carroll-Crockett-Dyer-Gibson-Henry-Lake-Lauderdale-Obion and Weakley until 6 AM Wednesday.  FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY in effect for the West TN counties of Decatur-Haywood-Henderson-Madison-Shelby and Tipton from 6 AM Tuesday to 6 AM Wednesday.

Precipitation with this event is expected to come in two waves.  The first will be tonight into Tuesday morning.  The next wave will be from late Tuesday afternoon through the overnight hours Tuesday night.  Precipitation will be overspreading the area tonight.  The accompanying graphic shows the estimated position of the freezing line at the given times.  It is obvious that NW TN stands be hit hard with this event.  Precipitation amounts over the next two day is forecast by HPC to possibly exceed 3 inches north of a Dyersburg to Paris line.  Needlesstosay, if this is all ice (and much of will be) it will be crippling!

Although the immediate Jackson area is under a Freezing Rain Advisory, we’ll feel the main brunt of the freezing precipitation Tuesday night.  It is not expected to anything close to what NW TN stands to encounter!

Additional posts are forthcoming as necessary.

EH

 

Total 2-Day Liquid Precip

Temps Not Warming Per Model Guidance – A Critical Element

(Monday, Jan. 26, 2009) – A quick post on how surface temperatures are doing vs. model guidance. Temperatures through mid-morning are 4 to 5 degrees cooler than model guidance. This translates in to highs around 35 or 36 and would have an impact on Jackson temperatures wet-bulbing at precipitation onset. My N. Jackson wet-bulb temperature is 27º.

Ice Storm Warnings Hoisted

…ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY…

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE INCLUDED:  LAKE-OBION-WEAKLEY-HENRY-DYER-GIBSON-CARROLL-LAUDERDALE-CROCKETT-

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED AN ICE STORM
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST
WEDNESDAY.

FREEZING RAIN WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING ACROSS NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
AND NORTHWEST TENNESSEE. SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE
EXPECTED IN EXCESS OF ONE HALF INCH. ALSO…THIS WILL BE A LONG
DURATION EVENT…ONLY ADDING TO THE HAZARDOUS NATURE. TREES AND
POWER LINES WILL LIKELY BECOME ICE COVERED…LEADING TO POSSIBLE
LOSS OF POWER ACROSS THE AREA. BRIDGES…OVERPASSES AND ROADWAYS
WILL BECOME DANGEROUS AND SLICK AT THE ONSET OF THE PRECIPITATION AND
MAY BECOME DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE AS THE HAZARDOUS ICING CONDITIONS
PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.

AN ICE STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS
WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY
DISCOURAGED. COMMERCE WILL LIKELY BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. IF YOU
MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT…FOOD…AND WATER IN YOUR
VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND WINDS WILL
LIKELY LEAD TO SNAPPED POWER LINES AND FALLING TREE BRANCHES THAT
ADD TO THE DANGER.

…FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY…

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE INCLUDED:  TIPTON-HAYWOOD-MADISON-HENDERSON-DECATUR-SHELBY-

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A FREEZING
RAIN ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO 6 AM CST
WEDNESDAY.

TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR FREEZING EARLY TUESDAY MORNING GENERALLY
ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. A MIX OF RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN
IS POSSIBLE. LIGHT ICING WILL BE POSSIBLE ON BRIDGES…OVERPASSES
AND OTHER EXPOSED SURFACES.

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR
FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

NWS