Winter Storm Puts the South in its Sights Beginning Thursday

A large swath of the nation stretching from Texas and into Georgia and the Carolinas is going to be under the gun for a major winter storm over the next few days. Here is a look at this developing weather event that will bring ice and snow to the region.

Dangerous Winter Storm Setting Up to Strike the Southern U.S.

The southern U.S. will be in the crosshairs of a winter storm that will extend for about 1,500 miles bringing potentially dangerous wintry precipitation. While the first major winter weather storm of the new year targeted the central Plains, this latest event has its eyes on the southern Plains, the Gulf Coast, and the mid-Atlantic.

Forecasters are warning that several U.S. cities not accustomed to dealing with wintry precipitation of this nature will be the target of this storm. This includes the major metro areas of Dallas, Atlanta, and Charlotte.

The latest forecast models are calling for snowfall amounts of 1 to 6 inches in a zone from central Texas and over into the southern Appalachians on Thursday and Friday. Isolated pockets of snow measuring up to one foot are possible in an area north of Dallas and across to Little Rock, Arkansas. Some parts of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina may also pick up snow of this magnitude in the higher terrains.

Dallas is bracing for a time of sleet and freezing rain prior to the arrival of the snow. The metroplex could see eventual snowfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches. More snow is likely for the part of the metro area that does not pick up sleet or freezing rain. The heaviest snow bands are predicted to set up overnight Thursday and into Friday.

The city of Dallas is expected to see a high of just 34 degrees on Thursday with readings slipping a few notches lower overnight. The moisture will move out by Friday, however, the cloudy skies will remain with highs topping out at about the 40-degree mark. Winds will pick up on Friday, hitting speeds of 10 to 20 mph from the north-northwest.

Widespread sleet will be the story for northeastern Texas and into northern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina. This line of sleet is forecast to also strike the southern tier of Arkansas and central Texas by the time that the storm wraps up.

Varying Forms of Wintry Precipitation Likely

The Interstate 20 corridor will likely escape with just a small amount of freezing rain. However, it only takes a small amount of this hazardous precipitation to create dangerous conditions on the roads.

Snow will be the primary form of precipitation for the bulk of Tennessee, central and northern portions of Arkansas, and central and eastern Oklahoma. For instance, significant snow is expected on Friday for both Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee. Sleet is likely to mix in with the rain in Memphis and Chattanooga.

Chattanooga is bracing for 3 to 5 inches of snow on Friday with another inch possible in the overnight hours. The forecast is calling for a high of about 34 degrees and lows that drop into the upper 20s after the sun goes down.

Areas to the north of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee will also likely see a bit of snow out of this storm. However, the accumulation will pale in comparison to what the central U.S. saw last weekend when a major winter storm slammed the region.

Moving to the south, sleet and freezing rain will fall across the zone between Interstate 10 and Interstate 20. Forecasters are warning that roads that may simply look wet could be covered in black ice, presenting dangers to motorists trying to navigate the storm.

The system is predicted to pull up a substantial amount of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, aiding in its intensification. Warmer temperatures along the Interstate 10 corridor will clash with the cold air to the north to fuel the development of severe thunderstorms at times.

Heavy rain is in the forecast for places such as Houston. The worst of the rain will fall overnight Thursday, amounting to about 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. Highs will hover in the mid 40s on both Thursday and Friday with lows dropping into the 30s, well below the average for this part of the Lone Star State.

This line of heavy rain and the threat of severe weather will stretch across the Gulf Coast and envelop cities such as New Orleans and Mobile. The Florida Panhandle will also be under the gun for the torrential rainfall capable of causing urban flooding.

Unfortunately for those in the Southern Appalachians still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helene last September, the storm will dump heavy snow and ice to this region.

Forecast for Zone East of the Appalachians

The area east of the Appalachians should be prepared or a wide array of impacts. The front end of the storm is likely to bring snow to places such as Atlanta and Charlotte on late Thursday and into early Friday. However, this moisture is forecast to switch to freezing rain and sleet as the storm progresses. Regardless of how the precipitation forms and falls, the Friday morning commute could be dicey for motorists in this corner of the country. Bridges and overpasses will be particularly dangerous.

Warmer temperatures in place at the end of the storm will result in straight rain and drizzle by Friday night for the Southeast. But forecasters caution that a brief period of wet snow may still pop up by the time that the storm finally exits the area.

Colder air north of Charlotte will translate to a higher chance of widespread and persistent snow and ice. This includes a good part of North Carolina and up into southern Virginia. The highest chance of wintry precipitation will hold off until Friday, expected to linger into Saturday.

The Carolina Piedmont should be prepared for the chance of power outages, as the freezing rain is forecast to hit this area hard. This is a good time to begin preparations for this potential ice event.

Forecasters are still monitoring the potential track of this system after it moves through the southern U.S. The latest projections show the storm moving to the north and bringing the chance of winter weather well into the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. The southern tier of New England may also get in on the snow action by the weekend.

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