(The graphic below shows the earliest expected onset of the winter storm)
Predicting a winter storm can be pretty difficult in Mississippi. But not this time…
“At this point, we’re confident that there’s going to be a winter storm. We just have to still work out the details of which precipitation type and which area and what the timing will be…”
Daniel Lamb at the National Weather Service in Jackson it’s a pretty much a certainty that much of the state will get some wintry precipitation starting Friday afternoon in the northwest and spreading into this area during the overnight hours Friday. This part of central Mississippi could see a significant impact from freezing rain, sleet and possibly some snow, especially if the precipitation winds up being primarily freezing rain…
“We’re not really to the point yet of getting into too much detail about amounts. But some of the guidance we have is suggesting we could get well beyond a quarter of an inch of ice in some areas, maybe even up to a half-inch of ice to an entire inch of ice, which, if that occurs, could be very crippling…”
The impact of an ice storm like that including widespread power outages could last for several days—possibly into next week….
“We don’t know exactly where that would happen. But that is the type of possibility we’re looking at with this storm. So, that’s why we want people to really take it seriously…”
The polar air surging into Mississippi this weekend will send temperatures plummeting. Sunday night’s lows are forecast to range from 15 degrees in Philadelphia, to the lower teens in Kosciusko and Carthage and as low as 10 degrees in Durant. Monday night is expected to be even colder with single digits forecast in Durant and around 10 degrees in other parts of the local area.
The above graphic forecasts the likelihood of moderate impacts on daily life from the winter storm, including hazardous driving conditions and power outages.
