Thursday Weather Update

I've been talking about the snow chances since Monday of this week and my gut feeling still has not changed. The low pressure disturbance coming off the Texas coastline is right on track to produce a significant snowfall event for portions of Mississippi. Snow has been falling across eastern Texas and western Louisiana since early this morning as the temperatures have been hovering in the lower 30s. Snow will begin to fall later this afternoon across southwest Mississippi, then overspread central Mississippi overnight.

Due to the nature of the snowfall, a Winter Storm Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service. This warning will begin at 6pm tonight and continue until 2pm Friday.

Areas north of I-20 could see 1-3 inches of snow. Areas along the I-20 corridor could see 2-5 inches of snow. Counties south of I-20, mainly along the Highway 84 & 98 corridors, could have the highest amounts where 6+ inches of snow could accumulate in localized spots and low lying areas. With these snow totals, traveling could be treacherous early Friday and snow could accumulate on trees and powerlines causing outages. H




Here is the NWS's latest graphic depiction of what is expected:

There are several ways to prepare for this possibility:
1) Have a battery operated NOAA Weather Radio
2) Charge cellphones throughout today and tonight
3) Have flashlights and two days' worth of non-perishable foods on hand
4) Report any power outages to your local power company

I'll be on WLBT beginning this afternoon at 4pm and I'll have the most up to date forecast around. You may also follow me on Twitter @BarbieBassett.

Meantime, the Valentines Blood Drive at Mississippi Blood Services continues today. I was there bright and early at 6am with Marshall Ramsey this morning as people were filing in to donate. With the travel conditions expected to worsen and accidents expected, I think it's fitting that we be ahead of the game and get the blood donations back up before the inclement weather sets in overnight. If you are in the area, please drop by and donate blood today before 7pm!