Weekend storm could bring major ice threat
A large, widespread winter storm could develop across parts of the South and East starting Friday and into the weekend, bringing ice and heavy snow that could affect millions of people from Texas and Oklahoma to the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic states.
This storm was named Winter Storm Fern by The Weather Channel. This comes after snow fell in parts of the south last weekend.
winter storm warning
The first warning was issued for some areas in the south.
In this case, a winter storm watch has been issued due to the possibility of heavy snow or mixed precipitation later this week.
The effects are expected to be most severe in areas with winter storm warnings and snowstorm warnings in effect in the coming days. Pay attention to the timing of these alerts in The Weather Channel app.
Timing and cities affected
Friday: Snow, sleet, and freezing rain will increase by early morning or early afternoon across the southern plains from Oklahoma north, west Texas, parts of Arkansas, and possibly as far east as south-central areas of west Tennessee and northern Mississippi.
City: Lubbock, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Little Rock, Memphis
Friday night: This winter’s snow, sleet, and ice mess could continue south across the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley, spread east into the Tennessee Valley and Appalachians, and extend east into parts of Virginia and the Carolinas.
City: Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Dallas, Austin, Little Rock, Shreveport, Memphis, Nashville, Huntsville, Asheville, Charlotte
Saturday: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama could see some snow, sleet, and ice moving south, while parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, and the Carolinas could see more snow, sleet, and ice.
City: Oklahoma City, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio(?), Little Rock, Shreveport, Memphis, Nashville, Huntsville, Knoxville, Asheville, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greenville-Spartanburg, Roanoke, Richmond
Saturday night: This winter disruption could move further south toward the Texas Gulf Coast, southwestern Louisiana, central Mississippi, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, and parts of South Carolina. The snow could spread across the Mid-Atlantic states and intensify, but could move farther west into the Mid-South region and parts of Oklahoma and Texas.
City: Houston, Dallas, Little Rock, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Huntsville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Greenville-Spartanburg, Columbia, Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City
Sunday: Winter precipitation will gradually end in Texas but continue from parts of Louisiana into the Tennessee Valley, Appalachians, Carolinas and Northeast. Heavy snow is possible in parts of the east.
Precipitation may taper off Sunday night, but it’s not yet clear if it will end completely or continue into Monday.
City: Houston, Shreveport, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Huntsville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Greenville-Spartanburg, Columbia, Charlotte, Raleigh, Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston
how much?
While there is uncertainty about how much sustained freezing rain will fall in specific areas during the storm, the map below shows where significant ice accumulation is expected across a wide swath of the South, from parts of Texas to the Carolinas.
(Icing prediction range: Best and worst case scenario)
In these areas, ice buildup can not only make roads dangerous if not impassable, but it can also build up on trees and power lines, leading to tree damage and numerous power outages.
If you live in the areas contoured on the map below, you should prepare for the possibility of power outages that can last from several hours to several days, especially given the cold air flowing into the area during and after the storm.
(more: 5 things to know about ice storms)
Places where large amounts of ice are expected to accumulate
snow
Our forecasts remain focused on this storm, so it is too early to provide specific numbers.
But a wide swath of the region, from northern Texas and Oklahoma to mid-Atlantic states, could see even more heavy snow from Friday into late Sunday.
This can create hazardous and dangerous travel conditions in these areas. Some roads in the South and Appalachians could become impassable by the end of this week.
This map shows where heavy snow is most likely to occur during Winter Storm Fern from Friday through Sunday. Areas in the purple and pink contours have the best chance of a mix of sleet and significant snow accumulation.
set up
Perfect weather is forecast for this weekend, with models predicting widespread wintry weather across the South.
There are two main factors that contribute to your setup.
The first is an arctic high that will form over the Great Lakes near the weekend and bring cold air to much of the South.
We also have a storm system that starts in the Southwest and heads east. Rain is expected across the south this week as moisture rises north ahead of the disturbances.
The Arctic high pressure system brings in cold air, causing temperatures to plummet and creating conditions perfect for winter weather.
Please check back frequently to see how your weekend may be affected.
Rob Shackelford is a meteorologist and climate scientist at weather.com. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Georgia, where he studied meteorology and experimented with alternative hurricane forecasting tools.