NWS Calling Ice Storm “Devestating”

(Tuesday, January 27, 2009) – In the evening forecast discussion the Memphis office of the National Weather Service has called the ongoing ice storm in the northern portions of the Midsouth “devastating.” 

…DEVASTATING ICE STORM CONTINUES ACROSS NORTHEAST ARKANSAS…THE
MISSOURI BOOTHEEL AND NORTHWEST TENNESSEE THIS EVENING…

The discussion continued saying…NORTHEAST ARKANSAS HAS BEEN THE
HARDEST HIT SO FAR WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON ELEVATED SURFACES
EXCEEDING 2 INCHES IN SOME PLACES. POWER OUTAGES ARE WIDESPREAD
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE MID SOUTH AND EXCEED 75 PERCENT IN
RANDOLPH AND CLAY COUNTIES.
 

In a storm report issued this evening, the Emergency Manager for the Obion County-Union City area reportedit this way:  TREE BRANCHES DOWN EVERYONE IN THE COUNTY. SEVERAL TREES SPLIT. POWER LINES DOWN WITH AT LEAST A QUARTER OF THE COUNTY WITHOUT POWER. STATED IT LOOKS LIKE TORNADO DAMAGE.

At mid-evening, there have been no changes in current thinking which is outline in previous posts.  For additional weather information go to www.jacksonweather.net

EH

ICE STORM WARNING / FREEZING RAIN ADVISORIES UPDATE

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
WEST TENNESSEE WEATHER ONLINE JACKSON TN
330 PM CST TUE JAN 27 2009

 
…ICE STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WEST TENNESSEE:  TIPTON-HAYWOOD-MADISON-SHELBY…

RAIN WILL SWITCH OVER TO FREEZING RAIN AFTER 10 PM CST TONIGHT.
THE FREEZING RAIN WILL THEN SWITCH OVER TO A MIXTURE OF SLEET
AND SNOW AFTER 3 AM CST.

ICE ACCUMULATIONS 0.25 TO 0.50 INCH CAN BE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT
THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION…A DUSTING OF SLEET AND
SNOW WITH ACCUMULATIONS UP TO ONE INCH IS POSSIBLE.

…ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WEST TENNESSEE: LAKE-OBION-WEAKLEY-HENRY-DYER-GIBSON-CARROLL- LAUDERDALE-CROCKETT…

FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING…BEFORE CHANGING OVER
TO SLEET AND SNOW. ALL PRECIPITATION WILL END WEDNESDAY MORNING.

GENERALLY…AN ADDITIONAL ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS
CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF OF A JONESBORO ARKANSAS TO
PARIS TENNESSEE LINE WHERE OVER AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF ICE IS
POSSIBLE.

TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL GENERALLY BE ONE HALF TO ONE INCH WITH
OVER TWO INCHES POSSIBLE NORTH OF A JONESBORO ARKANSAS TO PARIS
TENNESSEE LINE.

A CHANGEOVER FROM FREEZING RAIN TO SLEET AND SNOW CAN BE
EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SLEET AND
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS CAN BE EXPECTED.

THIS IS A LONG DURATION EVENT. TREES AND POWER LINES HAVE BECOME
ICE COVERED…LEADING TO LOSS OF POWER ACROSS THE AREA. BRIDGES…
OVERPASSES…AND ROADWAYS HAVE BECOME EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND MAY
BECOME IMPASSABLE.

…FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WEST TENNESSEE:  HENDERSON AND DECATUR…

RAIN WILL SWITCH OVER TO FREEZING RAIN AFTER 10 PM CST TONIGHT.
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BRIEFLY SWITCH OVER TO SLEET AND
SNOW BEFORE ENDING WEDNESDAY MORNING.

ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO ONE QUARTER INCH ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT.

LIGHT ICING WILL BE POSSIBLE ON BRIDGES…OVERPASSES…AND OTHER
EXPOSED SURFACES.

…FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WEST TENNESSEE: CHESTER-FAYETTE-HARDEMAN-MCNAIRY-HARDIN…

RAIN THIS EVENING WILL SWITCH OVER TO FREEZING RAIN AFTER
MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION MAY BRIEFLY MIX WITH
SLEET AND SNOW BEFORE ENDING MIDDAY WEDNESDAY.

ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO ONE QUARTER INCH ARE POSSIBLE LATE
TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.

LIGHT ICING WILL BE POSSIBLE ON BRIDGES…OVERPASSES…AND OTHER
EXPOSED SURFACES.

NWS/www.jacksonweather.net

Carefully Watching Those Temps

(Tuesday, January 27, 2009) – Low pressure scooting across N. MS has caused my winds to take on a more northerly component now and my temperature has come down 1.5º.  My high was 36.5º and as of 2 PM, I’m registering 35.2º

Below is a table of trends over the last few hours from my weather station in N. Jackson.

time	temp F	wind direction	speed MPH	gust MPH	rain 1hr in	rain 24hr in	rain mn in	humidity %	barometer mb
1:40	36	N	4.0	10.0	0.02	0.68	0.61	91	1019.7
1:28	36	NNE	9.0	9.0	0.02	0.68	0.61	91	1019.6
1:13	36	NNE	6.0	8.0	0.01	0.66	0.61	91	1019.7
12:58	36	NNE	1.0	5.0	0.02	0.66	0.61	91	1019.4
12:28	36	N	2.0	4.0	0.04	0.66	0.60	92	1019.8
12:13	36	N	2.0	6.0	0.05	0.65	0.60	92	1019.9
11:57	36	N	0.0	6.0	0.05	0.64	0.57	92	1020.5
11:43	36	N	2.0	5.0	0.05	0.63	0.57	92	1020.7
11:28	36	NE	2.0	3.0	0.04	0.62	0.55	92	1021.2
11:13	36	E	0.0	4.0	0.03	0.61	0.55	92	1021.6
10:57	36	E	2.0	2.0	0.03	0.60	0.53	92	1021.8
10:42	35	E

NWS PAH acknowledged that this was  premature:

A WEAK SURFACE LOW OVER NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI HAS ALLOWED SURFACE WINDS TO BACK TO DUE NORTH OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. THIS HAS PUSHED THE FREEZING LINE BACK FARTHER SOUTH INTO WEST KENTUCKY…WHICH WILL RESULT IN MORE EFFECTIVE ICING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON THAN EXPECTED. EVEN WHERE SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE JUST ABOVE FREEZING…ICING WILL LIKELY CONTINUE ON ELEVATED SURFACES. THE PREMATURE BACKING OF THE WINDS MAY LEAD TO AN ACCELERATED CHANGE TO MORE FROZEN PRECIPITATION THAN ORIGINALLY THOUGHT AS WELL.

eh

Late Morning Weather Briefing

(Tuesday, January 27, 2009) – Here is a summary of our ongoing winter weather situation for West TN.  Graphics below and latest information courtesy of the National Weather Service in Memphis following a late morning conference call.

Radar Image and Temps at 10 AM

 

At 10AM, the freezing line was just south of the northern tier of counties of West TN.  Precipitation across those counties was in the form of freezing rain.  Elsewhere patchy rain or drizzle is prevailing with temperatures above freezing.  Little change is anticipated in the current weather pattern throughout the daylight hours today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s what is expected this afternoon through Wednesday.  Frontal boundary just to our south will stay put this afternoon.  A low pressure will ride up the front tonight and will serve to do two things:  1) increase precipitation again over the area and 2) draw down colder air at the surface and aloft.   Freezing rain will continue across the northern counties this afternoon with mainly rain and drizzle across the remainder  of the region.   As the colder air comes in tonight areas having freezing rain will transition into sleet and snow overnight.  Areas having liquid precipitation will transition into freezing rain and late tonight includes some sleet and snow.

 

The graphic to the right shows what the expected results will be tonight by the NWS.  This afternoon, the NWS may upgrade the Freezing Rain Advisory to a Winter Storm Warning for the overnight hours.  The Ice Storm Warning may become a Winter Storm Warning as well as precipitation type begins to include sleet and snow.

 

Additional posts will be forthcoming as information becomes available.  More information is also available from www.jacksonweather.net .

Obion County Being Hit Hard – Injuries

(Tuesday, January 27, 2009) – The NWS reports this morning that there have been three injuries in Obion County due to the ice storm:

*** 3 INJ *** HEAVY ICE ACCUMULATION ON TREES AND POWER
LINES. TREES AND TREE LIMBS FALLING COUNTYWIDE. NO
ELECTRICAL SERVICE OVER WESTERN HALF OF OBION COUNTY.
ROADS AND BRIDGES EXTREMELY SLICK. TWO MOTOR VEHICLE
ACCIDENTS WITH INJURIES RESULTING FROM ICE.

Ice Storm Impact Thus Far

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
WEST TENNESSEE WEATHER ONLINE JACKSON TN
625 AM CST TUE JAN 27 2009

 
…ICE STORM IMPACT SUMMARY SO FAR…

THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT OF THE ICE STORM IN SELECTED COUNTIES ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS THROUGH 5:35AM:

OBION COUNTY:
 
            ICE ACCUMLATIONS MAKING ROADS AND BRIDGES VERY SLICK OVER
            OBION COUNTY…ESPECIALLY NEAR SOUTH FULTON. AUTO
            ACCIDENTS WITH UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OF INJURIES HAVE
            OCCURRED DUE TO ICE ON ROADWAYS.

            BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES VERY SLICK. TREES AND POWERLINES
            DOWN FROM ICE ACCUMULATIONS.

            QUARTER INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION AND POWER OUTAGE.

WEAKLEY COUNTY:

            ICE CLINGING TO POWER LINES AND TREES

DYER COUNTY:

            MOTORIST DRIVING FROM DYERSBURG TOWARD TATUMVILLE ON
            HIGHWAY 104 REPORTS ONE TENTH INCH OF ICE ON TREES. ROADS
            ARE WET.

CROCKETT COUNTY:

            ICING REPORTED ON TREES…POWERLINES AND ELEVATED
            SURFACES IN CROCKETT MILLS. ICE ACCUMULATION ESTIMATED AT
            0.05 INCH TO 0.10 INCH.
 

EH/NWS

Rainfall & Temperature Forecast

(Tuesday, January 27, 2009) – Below is a graphic of the latest forecasted rainfall amounts with selected high temperature forecasts from across West TN:

Ice Storm Warning Continues; Freezing Rain Advisory Expanded

(Tuesday, January 27, 2009) – The ICE STORM WARNING continues for the following counties in West Tennessee until 6 AM Wednesday:  LAKE-OBION-WEAKLEY-HENRY-DYER-GIBSON-CARROLL-LAUDERDALE-CROCKETT.   The FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY continues for the following counties, but has been extended to 9AM Wednesday:  HAYWOOD-MADISON-HENDERSON-DECATUR-SHELBY.   The FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY has been expanded to include the following counties until Noon Wednesday:  CHESTER-FAYETTE-HARDEMAN-MCNAIRY-HARDIN.

ICE STORM WARNING: 

A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL TRANSITION OVER TO
FREEZING RAIN TODAY…ESPECIALLY NORTH OF A JONESBORO ARKANSAS TO
PARIS TENNESSEE LINE.

SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE HALF INCH OR GREATER ARE
EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS
ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF OF A JONESBORO ARKANSAS TO PARIS TENNESSEE
LINE WHERE OVER ONE INCH OF ICE IS POSSIBLE. PRECIPITATION IS
EXPECTED TO BRIEFLY SWITCH OVER TO SLEET AND SNOW BEFORE ENDING
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

THIS WILL BE A LONG DURATION EVENT. TREES AND POWER LINES WILL
LIKELY BECOME ICE COVERED…LEADING TO POSSIBLE LOSS OF POWER
ACROSS THE AREA. BRIDGES…OVERPASSES…AND ROADWAYS WILL BECOME
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND MAY BECOME IMPASSABLE.

FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY:

TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR FREEZING…32 DEGREES…THROUGH MID MORNING
GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. A MIX OF RAIN AND
FREEZING RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED TODAY…TURNING OVER TO MOSTLY
FREEZING RAIN TUESDAY NIGHT. ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO ONE QUARTER
INCH ARE POSSIBLE. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO SWITCH OVER TO
SLEET AND SNOW BEFORE ENDING WEDNESDAY MORNING.

LIGHT ICING WILL BE POSSIBLE ON BRIDGES…OVERPASSES…AND OTHER
EXPOSED SURFACES.

3-Hourly Temperature Forecast

(Tuesday, January 27, 2009) – Below is the latest NWS 3-hourly temperature forecast for Jackson-Madison County.  Top row of numbers is time of day and second number is the forecast temperature.  You can select your county from a list here:

TIME:  06 09 12 15 18 21 00 03 06

TEMP: 30 33 37 39 34 33 32 29 27