A new winter storm is threatening to blanket portions of the South and Southeast in snow and ice through the end of the week.
High pressure over the Midwest will continue to send unseasonably cold air southward through the end of the week. At the same time, an area of low pressure will begin to develop over the western Gulf of Mexico today and Thursday and will send plenty warm, moist air northward.
The collision of these two air masses will result in moderate to heavy rainfall and thunderstorms along the Gulf coast, with snow and even some ice farther north starting on Thursday and continuing into early Saturday.
Winter Storm Warnings are in place from northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, northwestern Louisiana and most of Arkansas into southeastern Missouri, western Kentucky, western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, which includes parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Winter Storm Watches are currently in effect across southern Kentucky, the rest of Tennessee, northern Alabama, northern Georgia and the western Carolinas. Winter Weather Advisories have been placed to the west and north of these Winter Storm Warnings/Watches, including southern New Mexico, western and the rest of northern Texas, most of Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas into southern Missouri, southern Illinois and parts of Kentucky.
A swath of 2 to 6 inches of snow is expected from Thursday afternoon through Saturday morning on the northern side of this storm. In addition, a small area of freezing rain and sleet will be possible from northeastern Texas to northern Georgia, where upwards of 0.05 inches of ice will be possible.
Meanwhile, moderate to locally heavy rainfall will occur on the warm side of this area of low pressure. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches will be possible from southeastern Texas to southern Mississippi. This may lead to localized flooding in urban areas and in poor drainage areas. Remember, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!” if you approach a flooded roadway. While a few embedded thunderstorms will also be possible on Friday, widespread severe weather is not anticipated at this time.
A piece of this storm system will combine with an arctic cold front that will move across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes on Friday and through the Northeast on Saturday. Along and ahead of this front, light snow will develop across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic on Friday into Saturday. Here, snow accumulations will generally be under 2 inches, but localized snow accumulations of 3 or 4 inches will be possible, especially over higher elevations.
Be sure to download the WeatherBug app to stay up to date on the latest on this changing weather. Regardless of the exact track, it’s never too early to have a supply kit packed in case of inclement weather. A simple kit including a weather radio, water, blankets, batteries and non-perishable food items will go a long way in the event of a power outage. It’s always best to avoid travelling in rough weather as the roads will be dangerous.