A Georgia Department of Transportation brine tank is filled Friday in Forest Park, Ga., ahead of a winter storm poised to drop several inches of snow across the South
Brynn Anderson / AP
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Brynn Anderson / AP
A Georgia Department of Transportation brine tank is filled Friday in Forest Park, Ga., ahead of a winter storm poised to drop several inches of snow across the South
Brynn Anderson / AP
This weekend by Martin Luther King Jr. will bring a major winter storm, potentially bringing several inches of snow to southern states unaccustomed to it. The heaviest snowfall could fall west of Tennessee and north of Mississippi, with some areas accumulating more than 6 inches of snow.
The storm gathers with the states approaching, especially after last week’s snowfall that blocked traffic and motorists stuck on I-95 for hours.
Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency ahead of the approaching storm. Virginia State Police warned motorists to keep the storm in mind while planning their commute.
Outgoing Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency the Friday before the storm, not only to give emergency responders a chance to prepare, but also because the declaration “gives the Governor-elect a go.” [Glenn] Youngkin needs to be able to respond to any storm quickly,” Northam said.
Store, already empty sports shelf Due to bad weather, supply chain issues and labor shortages caused by COVID, is facing more demand as people stock up ahead of the storm. Hardware stores around the area reported higher-than-normal demand.
Dwight Gilleland, owner of Dawsonville Hardware in north Atlanta, told the Associated Press he ran out of heaters by noon Friday and only had five bags of salt and sand left. “I think the pandemic has made people more worried than usual,” he say.
Up to 4 inches of snow is possible in north-central Mississippi, near the Tennessee state line. The Weather Bureau of Jackson, Miss., warned of sustained winds of 20-25 mph, with gusts of up to 40 mph, with the potential to topple trees and cause power outages.
Government agencies have advised potential motorists to stay off the roads in the face of heavy snow and strong winds. “Travel would be very dangerous!” Memphis National Weather Service office speak, forecast a total of 4-6 inches of snow along the I-40 corridor and into the Mississippi Delta. “There may be a power outage!!!”
The National Weather Service said the storm could even bring snow to areas that don’t normally see it, such as southern Mississippi and the Tennessee Valley. It said rain will turn to snow early Sunday morning over parts of northeastern Louisiana and southeastern Arkansas, with a build-up of up to 2 inches possible.
This winter storm “is poised to produce substantial total snowfall from the Tennessee Valley to the Southern Appalachians and hazardous icy conditions in Carolina Piedmont and outlying northwest Georgia tonight and Sunday morning,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. NWS Weather Forecast speak
The weather this weekend is part of a storm that has dumped heavy snow across the Midwest, including parts of northern North Dakota and western Minnesota. Des Moines, Iowa, saw a new daily record of nearly 10 inches.
On Sunday, the storm is expected to continue into the Mid-Atlantic as it heads north, bringing hail and rain along the East Coast.
