Winter Storm Warning: widespread snow expected by late tonight with over half a foot possible

The most widespread snow in years is expected across the state by late tonight with the heaviest snow occurring across parts of Central and Southern Mississippi.

The National Weather Service has placed much of Central and Southern Mississippi under a Winter Storm Warning and a large part of Northern Mississippi under a Winter Weather Advisory from late Thursday evening through early Friday afternoon.

The Winter Storm Warning includes the cities of Jackson, Vicksburg, Madison, Canton, Merdian, McComb, Natchez, Brookhaven, Louisville, Greenville and Hattiesburg.

The Winter Weather Advisory includes the cities of  West Point, Tupelo, Starkville, Oxford, Greenwood and Columbus.

A Winter Storm Watch remains for Southeastern Mississippi but this will likely be upgraded to a warning and or downgraded to a advisory later today.

A  upper level disturbance was moving east across Texas, Thursday morning with a band of significant snow.  This feature will trigger the development of a surface low in the Western Gulf of Mexico by tonight.  

This low will then move steadily to the east as it draws moisture to the north into the state.   With cold air already in place in all layers of the atmosphere, snow will be the primary form with some areas receiving several inches.

Related:  Winter Weather Advisories & Winter Storm Criteria

A  band of significant snow is expected to form over parts of Central and Southern Mississippi and depending on where this band sets up will determine what areas will receive the heaviest snowfall.

This band of snow will have the potential to produce snowfall accumulations  over a half a foot of snow!!

Right now, the most likely areas for receiving such snowfall totals are along the Highway 84 Corridor from near Natchez to Hattiesburg. (This area will have to most moisture to deposit as snow)

But even outside of this snow band, significant snowfall is expected.

This will likely be the most widespread snow event in the state in many years with most areas at least seeing some snow, whether it be flurries and or light to heavy snow including along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Possible snowfall totals

In Jackson, this is expected to be the first February snow event since 1985.  The heaviest February snowfall occurred in 1940 with 9 inches of snowfall.  (Note: 1985 and 1940 were both El Nino years and this is also an El Nino year --- you can see the consistence of significant snows during an El Nino event in Mississippi)

Related: Snow and especially ice storms are more common during El Nino winters in Mississippi

The snow is expected to fall with temperatures around freezing and depending on how heavy the snow is, and there is expected to be some heavy snow, there could be some power outages due to heavy wet snow accumulations on power lines and or from falling tree branches on power lines in some areas.

Also, the potential exist for bridge icing, which will cause hazardous and dangerous travel across areas that receive snow this evening and on Friday.

The primary window for accumulating snow in the state is from 9 pm this evening to noon on Friday.

The snow will taper off from west to east by Friday afternoon with high temperatures statewide only in the 30s.

Uncertainty still exists on the exact track or positioning of the gulf low, which will ultimately determine what areas receive the highest snowfall totals, but as of right now,  Central and Southern Mississippi are the primary targets of this winter storm.

                          (JACKSON NWS)

This is a developing and ever- changing weather situation and everyone should stay updated on the latest weather information as it becomes available on this winter storm.  (Northern Mississippi, Central and portions of Southern Mississippi, Southern Mississippi and Southeastern Mississippi)

WINTER STORM WARNING COUNTIES:

Adams, Amite, Attala, Claiborne, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Pearl River, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Simpson, Smith, Walthall, Warren, Washington, Wilkinson, Winston, Yazoo

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY COUNTIES:

Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Coahoma, Grenada, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Leflore, Lowndes, Monroe, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pontotoc, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Union, Webster, Yalobusha

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