- Arctic air will create a wintry mess of ice in parts of the South through Wed. night.
- Accumulating ice is likely from Texas into Oklahoma, Arkansas and western Tennessee.
- Dallas, Austin, Little Rock and Memphis are among the cities in this icy threat.
- Roads in these areas will likely become hazardous, and power outages are possible.
An ice storm will lead to dangerous travel and possibly some tree damage and power outages from parts of Texas to Tennessee and Kentucky as cold air returns to much of the country.
This weather system has been named Winter Storm Mara (MARE-uh) by The Weather Channel.
(MORE: How Winter Storms Are Named)
A stationary front marking the boundary of a fresh arctic air mass will hang out from the Southern Plains to the East Coast. With an active jet stream riding over the top of it and moist air pulled north from the Gulf over the cold air, this is a prime setup for multiple rounds of snow, sleet and freezing rain on the cold side of that front.
Here’s what to expect.
Current Status
Spotty freezing drizzle has caused icing on roads this morning in parts of northern Texas and eastern Oklahoma, including near Dallas-Fort Worth and Tulsa. Some thundersleet and thundersnow was reported in Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City metro area.
Current Conditions
(The dark contour on the map indicates areas that are currently at or below freezing. )
An ice storm warning is in effect from central Arkansas to western Tennessee, including Little Rock and Memphis. Icing in these areas could be heavy enough to cause tree damage and knock out power, as well as making most roads hazardous.
Winter storm warnings are in effect for a broad area of central and north Texas, including the entire Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, Austin and Waco. In these areas, widespread hazardous travel is expected with some potential for power outages and damage to trees.
Winter weather advisories extend from other parts of Texas to parts of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys. Some of these areas could see disruptions to daily life, including slippery travel.
Ice Forecast
There is a high chance of ice accumulating at least 0.10 inch thick through Wednesday night from central and northern Texas into southeast Oklahoma, much of Arkansas, western Tennessee and northwest Mississippi.
Those ice accumulations could be on various surfaces like tree limbs, power lines and cars. Elevated roads and bridges will also be more prone to icing in these areas.
In addition, areas of west-central Texas, generally to the west of Dallas-Ft. Worth, and near the Interstate 40 corridor of central and eastern Arkansas to near Memphis, have the highest chance of more damaging ice accumulations capable of tree damage and power outages.
( Ice accumulations of 0.10 inches or less can cause travel to be extremely dangerous but usually are not damaging to trees and power lines. )
Forecast Timing
Monday-Monday Night
A wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow will develop today from central and northern parts of Texas into eastern Oklahoma and the Ozarks.
Overnight, this ice and snow will spread farther east and south, including from the Ohio Valley southwestward into western and middle Tennessee, central and northern Arkansas and northern and central Texas.
Monday’s Forecast
(The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow. Areas in pink are expected to see sleet or freezing rain (ice).)
Tuesday-Tuesday Night
Many of the same areas will see a wintry mix creating travel problems on Tuesday.
Austin and Dallas, Texas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, are some of the cities that could see periods of freezing rain and/or sleet.
Tuesday’s Forecast
(The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow. Areas in pink are expected to see sleet or freezing rain (ice).)
Wednesday
The stagnant weather pattern will hold in place on Wednesday.
That means icy travel will continue to be possible from central and northern Texas eastward into Arkansas and the lower Mississippi Valley.
If you live in, or have travel plans to these areas, keep this potential in mind and check back frequently for updates to this forecast in the days ahead.
Wednesday’s Forecast
(The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow. Areas in pink are expected to see sleet or freezing rain (ice).)
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
