The NWS in Jackson has issued a Winter Storm Warning for 72 out of 88 MS counties. If you live along Hwy 84 northward to the Tennessee state line, you are included. This warning will go into effect Sunday at 3pm and remain in effect until Monday at 6pm:
The pink counties are under the Winter Storm Warning and the counties shaded in blue are under a Winter Storm Watch. This image is courtesy of NWS JAN!
The set-up of this storm is quite tricky and makes forecasting it even trickier. But the models have generally agreed that wintry precipitation and accumulations are likely along and north of Interstate 20. Now the question is: what type will fall where and how much?
*Areas along the Hwy 84 corridor*: temperatures should remain warm enough, upper 30s, that you guys will mostly just see cold rain. However, there could be a snowflake or two and maybe some sleet pellets as well, but hazardous accumulations are not likely.
*Areas along the I-20 corridor*: Locations like Jackson, Meridian, Vicksburg, Madison, Ridgeland, Canton, Brandon, Clinton, and other parts of Warren, Hinds, Rankin, Madison, Scott, Leake, Simpson, Smith, and Copiah counties will likely see everything mother nature offers in winter: snow, freezing rain and sleet. I expect the biggest threat in this area to be accumulations of ice, but a few inches of snow is not out of the question as well.
*Areas along the Hwy 82 corridor*: This area, including us here in Starkville, will mainly see snow. In general we should see at least 3 inches. HOWEVER, we expect a "deformation" band to develop (an intense band of heavy snow) in this area, in which accumulations of 5-8 inches are possible. At this point, it is not easy to say where exactly this band will form, and we will have to wait a little longer before we can pinpoint that exact location.
**HAZARDOUS TRAVEL** - I highly discourage travel during this time as road conditions will deteriorate as soon as the wintry precipitation begins to accumulate. Ice is especially dangerous and because winds will remain a constant throughout the event, trees and power lines are at risk of falling. Power outages will be likely in areas that see the most ice and snow. Into the evening hours on Sunday, travel is especially hazardous as ice will be harder to detect at night.
If you must travel during this event, remember: if you hit a patch of ice, do not slam on the breaks- gently tap them. If you begin to spin out, turn your wheel in the direction of the spin. Be smart about this and do not drive at high rates of speed on ANY road during this event. No matter how big your truck/SUV might be, it will be no match for an icy road! And again, if you must travel, remember to pack blankets and water and a flashlight in the car with you in case you get stranded out on the road.
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